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Jack Q. Lever, Jr. is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Washington, D.C. office. As a member of the Intellectual Property, Media & Technology Department, Jack concentrates his practice on patent litigation and counseling, and has represented major U.S. and foreign corporations in patent litigation matters before the federal district courts. He is highly rated in Best Lawyers in America and was recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 lawyers in Washington, D.C.
His litigation practice has centered on representing clients in new and emerging technologies, and over the years he has been involved in major patent infringement litigation involving semiconductor devices and processing, communications technology, computer hardware and software, lasers and emerging energy technologies.
Jack has litigated extensively before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in proceedings under 19 U.S.C. Section 1337, known as Section 337 proceedings. Since the early 1980s, Jack has been involved in representing both complainants and respondents in over 20 Section 337 investigations involving a wide range of products. He has lectured often on Section 337 litigation, including speeches before bar associations and law schools, and has written widely on the subject, including "Unfair Methods of Competition in Import Trade: Actions Before the International Trade Commission," The Business Lawyer, Vol. 41, No. 4, August 1986 and "The Impact of the 1988 Omnibus Trade Act on Litigation before the International Trade Commission Under Section 337," The Computer Lawyer, Vol. 5, No. 11, November 1988. Also, Jack co-authored Chapter 8, "ITC and Customs," Protecting Trade Dress, Wiley Law, 1995.
Jack is an adjunct professor of law at George Washington University School of Law in Washington, D.C. where he teaches a patent litigation practice course, Patent Enforcement.
Jack has also counseled major corporations in developing and improving intellectual property protection. He has assisted clients in intellectual property audits and in developing licensing strategies for corporate intellectual property portfolios, which have resulted in substantial revenues for clients. Additionally, as a registered patent attorney he regularly advises clients on more complex patent prosecution matters, including patent interferences, reexamination and reissue proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Jack began his intellectual property law career as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1970. Before leaving the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, he served a special assignment at the Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office where he gained experience assisting in appeals to the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the predecessor court of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
In 1975, Jack joined the U.S. Department of Energy as a patent attorney, and in 1980 was appointed Deputy General Counsel for Patents. While at the U.S. Department of Energy, Jack gained experience in all areas of intellectual property law practice and became knowledgeable in a wide range of energy technologies including nuclear, solar, energy storage and electric power and related conservation technology. As patent counsel, Jack was responsible for managing the Department's U.S. and worldwide patent prosecution program. In addition, he was responsible for litigating numerous title disputes over government-funded technology and assisted the Department of Justice in Court of Claims cases involving the Department. In 1982, he entered private practice.
Throughout his career Jack has been active in efforts to reform the U.S. intellectual property laws. In 1981, while at the Department of Energy, Jack was appointed special counsel and representative for the Senate Office of Technology Assessments. As special counsel, Jack assisted in an in-depth study of the U.S. intellectual property system and did a comparative study of the Japanese, German and U.S. patent law systems. The results of this study served as a major impetus to changes to the U.S. patent system, including the creation of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the introduction of maintenance fees and reexamination.
Jack continues to be involved in efforts to reform U.S. intellectual property law and has written numerous articles on the issues of intellectual property reform, including "The New Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit," 64 JPOS 178, 243, 1982. From 1988 to 1992, he served as editor of U.S. Intellectual Property Legislative Review: An Annual Survey, published by Clark Boardman Company, and he regularly advises clients on the potential effects of pending legislation to modify U.S. intellectual property laws.
He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with an emphasis on electrical engineering.
Jack is admitted to the bars of the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia and is a member of numerous bar associations, including the American Bar Association's sections on Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law and Litigation, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.
Education:
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, J.D., 1974
Clemson University, B.S.M.E., 1970 |
