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(Main Office)

Polster, Lieder, Woodruff & Lucchesi, L.C. is a full service intellectual property law firm. The attorneys of Polster, Lieder prepare and prosecute patent, trademark and copyright applications in the United States and in foreign countries. The technical backgrounds of the attorneys cover electrical, electronic, electro-mechanical, computer, mechanical, biological, biomedical, chemical and pharmaceutical technologies. The attorneys also negotiate licenses and assignments of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and confidential information on a national and international basis. Other intellectual property matters such as those involving employees, independent contractors, joint venture projects, covenants not to compete, confidential disclosure agreements, venture capital analysis and similar agreements, are prepared and negotiated regularly. Members of the firm have been involved in litigating patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition and related anti-trust cases in courts throughout the United States.

Statement of Practice

Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law, Intellectual Property.

Rate Information

Fixed Hourly Rates
Fixed Fees Available
Free Initial Consultation
Accepts Major Credit Cards

• Visa
• MasterCard

Address

12412 Powerscourt Drive, Suite 200
St. Louis, MO 63131-3615, ((Independent City))

Phone

Phone: 314-238-2400
Fax: 314-238-2401

Website

http://www.patpro.com

Office Hours

Monday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Tuesday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Friday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM

Firm/Affiliate Offices

Belleville, Illinois Office: 2 Park Place Professional Centre, 62223. Telephone: 618-257-8340.

Basking Ridge, New Jersey Office: 63 North Maple Avenue, 07920. Telephone: 908-204-0128.

MEMBERS

Mark E. Books (Member) admitted to bar, 1997, Missouri, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eight Circuit; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Washington University (B.S.C.S., 1993; J.D., 1996). Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property Law; Litigation; Computer Law; Equine Law.Email: Mark E. Books

Douglas D. Churovich (Member) admitted to bar, 1996, Missouri; 1997, Illinois; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit; registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Missouri-Rolla (B.S., Ceramic Engineering); St. Louis University (J.D., cum laude). Doug Churovich is licensed in both Missouri and Illinois, and he is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He has litigated numerous matters before multiple state and federal courts in both Missouri and Illinois, as well as other states. Doug is registered to practice before the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the Southern District of Illinois, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals. Since joining Polster Lieder, he has prepared and prosecuted numerous patent applications, covering various areas such as mechanical devices, electronic devices, and manufacturing and business methods. In addition, Doug's experience in the area of trademarks is quite extensive. Doug has not only litigated trademark infringement claims, he has overseen multiple oppositions and cancellation proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Doug has also prosecuted and won domain name disputes through the arbitration procedure offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Similarly, he has been extensively involved in patent infringement litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in different matters. Recently, Doug played key roles in successfully litigating two patent infringement cases, one resulting in a $15 million verdict in favor of our firm's client - one of the largest patent infringement verdicts in the State of Missouri. Doug has also litigated domain name, trade secret, and copyright cases. Doug has handled numerous litigation cases, as both plaintiffs and defendant's counsel. His transaction experience covers diverse matters including intellectual property licensing, management and protection of intellectual property, business contracts, liens, guaranties, employment contracts, receiverships, and real estate contracts. Doug has negotiated, drafted, and executed numerous settlement agreements and releases associated with a variety of litigation claims. Prior to joining Polster Lieder, Doug enjoyed a widely varied litigation caseload, involving such matters as products liability, arson, theft and vandalism, automobile and personal property damage, wrongful death, personal injury, libel and slander, and contract disputes. Moreover, Doug has been very successful in ending litigation early through the use of summary judgment, having won a variety of summary judgment motions to defeat nearly $2 million in adverse claims. Doug also has extensive prior work experience as a manager and engineer at the Boeing Company (formerly McDonnell Douglas Corp.). As a project manager in McDonnell Douglas' Microelectronics Center, Doug was responsible for numerous solid-state laser production projects. Doug successfully managed nine key program deliveries, worth over $3 million, including two time-critical space-launch programs; the Mars Observer Laser Altimeter system, and a "Star Wars" technology anti-missile tracking and target designation system. As an engineer, Doug supervised the transfer, start-up, operation and engineering of over $8.5 million in solid-state computer chip research and production equipment, and Doug created all related process and military specifications for the equipment. Doug also has been named to Marquis Who's Who in American Law; Madison Who's Who Among Executives and Professionals, and "Honors Edition" of the registry. Alpha Sigma Nu; Moot Court Board. Recipient, Judge Robert G. Down Award for Appellate Advocacy. Editor-in-Chief, Fidelity & Surety News. Author: "Scents, Sense or Cents?: Something Stinks In the Lanham Act," St. Louis University Public Review, Vol. XX, No. 2, 2001. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar; Illinois State Bar Association. Special Agencies: Angel Tree Committee of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; Order of the Engineer. Languages: Russian. Practice Areas: Patents; Trademarks; Copyrights; Intellectual Property; Internet Law; Litigation; Appeals; Computer Law.Email: Douglas D. Churovich

William B. Cunningham, Jr. (Member) admitted to bar, 1971, Missouri; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Court; U.S. Supreme Court; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S.M.E., 1965); St. Louis University (J.D., 1970). Listed in the Best Lawyers in America. Member: The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property; Litigation.Email: William B. Cunningham, Jr.

Brian J. Gill (Member) admitted to bar, 1999, Illinois; 2006, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Univ. of Dayton (B.S.M.E., 1993); John Marshall Law School (J.D., 1999). Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar. Practice Areas: Patents; Trademarks; Trade Secrets; Licensing; Intellectual Property Litigation.Email: Brian J. Gill

Scott T. Gray (Member) born St. Louis, Missouri, February 9, 1959; admitted to bar, 1999, Missouri; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Missouri, Columbia (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1991); St. Louis University School of Law (J.D., 1998). Scott T. Gray received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a J.D. degree from Saint Louis University, School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Gray was employed by Coin Acceptors, Inc. as senior lead engineer in the Reliability and Testing Department. Mr. Gray is licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri, is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, and the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark, Office. His current practice includes patents, trademarks, and copyright matters. Mr. Gray's current practice concentrates on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical, electromechanical, electrical and communications systems arts; preparing and rendering novelty, infringement, and freedom to practice opinions; negotiating and drafting licensing agreements; and trademark and copyright registrations. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar; American Bar Association. Special Agencies: Operations Committee Member for UCP Easter Seals; Business Agent for the Costello's Syndrome Family Network; Scholarship Committee Member for the St. Louis Ambassadors; Golf Tournament Committee Member for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Patents; Trademarks; Copyrights.Email: Scott T. Gray

David L. Howard (Member) admitted to bar, 1994, Missouri; 1995, Illinois and Colorado; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Univ. of Texas at Arlington (B.S.E.E.); Webster Univ. (M.B.A.); St. Louis Univ. (J.D.). Former President, COO, and General Counsel of a telecommunications engineering services company, and founder of a start-up telecommunications company; former Southwestern Bell/AT&T manager with experience in product development, new technology development and management, regulatory, capital planning and budgeting and switching and transmission engineering. Member: The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Illinois State; The American Bar Association; The Missouri Bar; The American Intellectual Property Law Association. Special Agencies: Inst. of Electrical Engineers; National Society of Professional Engineers. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Patents; Trademark; Copyright; Intellectual Property Licensing; Technology Law.Email: David L. Howard

Roy Lieder (1924-1991).

Lionel L. Lucchesi (Member) admitted to bar, 1969, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Illinois Institute of Technology (B.S.E.E.); St. Louis University (J.D.). Phi Alpha Delta. Listed in: Who's Who in the World; Who's Who in American Law; Who's Who in the Midwest; Who's Who in America; Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyer; Certified Neutral in U.S. District Court ADR Program. Member: The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (President, 1985-1986); The Missouri Bar. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property.Email: Lionel L. Lucchesi

Verne A. Luckow (Member) admitted to bar, 2000, Missouri; 2007, Washington. Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S., Biochemistry, with honors, 1976; Ph.D., Molecular Biology, 1984); St. Louis University (J.D., 1999). Dr. Luckow concentrates on patent and regulatory matters for companies and universities having interests in the life sciences. He has extensive experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications; conducting freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity studies; preparing and negotiating licenses and other agreements; and conducting patent searches. Dr. Luckow has provided services for clients across a wide range of technologies, including medical devices, molecular therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostic agents, and research tools. Dr. Luckow provides intellectual property legal services for small, medium, and large companies and universities. Legal Publications and Presentations: Browne, R.E., Romza-Kutz, D., Luckow V.A., Browne, R.E., Jr. (2009) Opportunities for longer patent term adjustments. Luckow, V.A. (2009). Intellectual Property Law - At the Intersection of Science, Business, and Legal Issues. Workshop on Careers in Pharmacology, 2009 Great Lakes Chapter of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, June 19, 2009. Luckow, V.A. (2009). Comparing Hatch-Waxman Laws Regulating Small Molecule Drugs with Existing and Proposed Laws Regulating the Approval of Innovative and Follow-On Biologics. 9th Protein Engineering in Animal Cells (PEACe) Meeting, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, September 23, 2009. Selected Research Publications: Luckow, V.A., and M.D. Summers. (1988). Trends in the development of baculovirus expression vectors. Bio/Technology (NY) 6(1): 47-55. (<685 citations) Luckow, V.A., and M.D. Summers. (1988). Signals important for high-level expression of foreign genes in Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus expression vectors. Virology 167(1): 56-71. (<125 citations) Luckow, V.A., and M.D. Summers. (1989). High-level expression of non-fused foreign genes with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus expression vectors. Virology 170(5): 31-39. (<220 citations) Luckow, V.A. (1991). Cloning and expression of heterologous genes in insect cells with baculovirus vectors, p. 97-152. In A. Prokop, R. Bajpai, and C. Ho, (eds.), Recombinant DNA Technology and Applications. McGraw-Hill, New York. (<210 citations) O'Reilly, D.R., L.K. Miller, and V.A. Luckow. (1992). Baculovirus Expression Vectors: A Laboratory Manual, p. 1-347. W. H. Freeman/Oxford University Press, New York. (<1695 citations) Luckow, V.A., S.C. Lee, G.F. Barry, and P.O. Olins. (1993). Efficient generation of infectious recombinant baculoviruses by site-specific transposon-mediated insertion of foreign genes into a baculovirus genome propagated in Escherichia coli. J. Virol. 67(8): 4566-4579. (<450 citations). Member: The Missouri Bar; Washington State and American Bar Associations; American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association; Association of University Technology Managers. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Life Sciences; Technology Transfers; Biotechnology; Regulatory Law; Food and Drug Regulation.Email: Verne A. Luckow

McPherson D. Moore (Member) admitted to bar, 1974, Arkansas; Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Mississippi (B.S.M.E.); University of Arkansas (J.D., 1974). Listed in Best Lawyers in America. Author: "The Consumer and the F.T.C.A.," The St. Louis Bar Journal, Fall 1976. Co-author: "General Merchandising Practices Laws," Missouri Bar Consumer Law and Practice, 1979, 1988, 1995; "Franchise Law Issues Involving Trademark Tie-Ins," St. Louis Daily Record and The St. Louis Countian, 1985; "Trademark, Patent, Trade Secret And Copyright Protection in Franchising," Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and Kansas City Bar Association, National Franchise Law Institute, 1989; "Missouri Uniform Trade Secrets Act," The Missouri Business Law Quarterly, 1996; "Intellectual Property Aspects of Business Organizations, Trade Secrets," Missouri Bar Business Organizations, 1998. Chairman, Young Lawyers Section, 1981-1982; Trial Practice Institute, 1978-1979, Member-at-Large, 1982-1984, Secretary, 1984-1985, Vice President, 1985-1986, President, 1988-1989 and Chairman, Trial Section, 1986-1987, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Chairman, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Committee, The Missouri Bar, 1992-1994, Co-Chair, 1994-1995; St. Louis Bar Foundation, Secretary, 1984-1985; Vice-President, 1988-1989; President 1989-1990. Practice Areas: Patent Law; Trademark, Copyright and Unfair Competition Law; Litigation.Email: McPherson D. Moore

J. Joseph Muller (Member) admitted to bar, 1975, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Louisville (B.E.E., 1966); University of Missouri at St. Louis (M.A., 1972); Washington University (J.D., 1975). Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Carter Automotive Company, 1984-1985. General Counsel, ACF Industries, 1985-1988. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar. Languages: German. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property.Email: J. Joseph Muller

Nelson D. Nolte (Member) admitted to bar, 1999, Illinois; 2002, Missouri and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois; 2008, U.S. District Court, District of Colorado; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Univ. of Missouri - Rolla (B.S., Electrical Eng., 1996); John Marshall Law School (J.D., 1999). Phi Delta Phi. Moot Court Council. Practice Areas: Patents; Trademarks; Copyrights.Email: Nelson D. Nolte

J. Philip Polster (Member) admitted to bar, 1967, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Wesleyan University (B.A.); Washington University (J.D.). Order of the Coif. Managing Editor, Washington University Law Quarterly. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property.Email: J. Philip Polster

Philip B. Polster (1919-2009).

Ned W. Randle (Member) admitted to bar, 1991, Missouri; 1992, Illinois; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, U.S. District Court, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: St. Louis College of Pharmacy (B.S.); St. Louis University (J.D., cum laude). Registered Pharmacist in Illinois and Missouri. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; St. Clair County and Illinois State Bar Associations; The Missouri Bar. Special Agencies: American Society for Pharmacy Law. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Copyright Law; Litigation; Unfair Competition.Email: Ned W. Randle

Jonathan P. Soifer (Member) admitted to bar, 1989, Missouri; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri; U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth and Federal Circuits; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Washington University (B.S., Chemical Engineering, 1985; J.D., 1989); Phi Alpha Delta. Mr. Soifer concentrates in patent, trademark, and copyright matters. He has extensive experience in preparing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications. He conducts freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity studies, prepares and negotiates licenses and other agreements, and conducts trademark clearance searches. Mr. Soifer has provided services in a diverse range of technologies including medical and dental instruments, bearings, software, agricultural, playground equipment, and chemical processes and coatings. Mr. Soifer provides intellectual property legal services for many individuals and small, medium, and large companies. Some notable entities include The Timken Company, Brown Shoe Company, Young Dental Manufacturing Company, Stephen Ministries, The GSI Group, Play Power, Hunter Engineering, Obtura Corporation, E-Z Dock, Inc., Semco Inc., and many others. Mr. Soifer is a registered patent attorney admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (Member, Sections on: Patent, Trademark, Copyright); The Missouri Bar; American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Patent; Trademark; Copyright; Science and Technology). Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Copyright Matters; Intellectual Property; Computer Law; Internet Law.Email: Jonathan P. Soifer

ASSOCIATES

Steven C. Balsarotti (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, Missouri. Education: University of Missouri - Rolla (M.S., Electrical Engineering, 1992); St. Louis University Law School (J.D., 2008). Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; American Bar Association. Special Agencies: Missouri State Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Electrical Intellectual Property; Intellectual Property Enforcement; Intellectual Property Infringement; Intellectual Property Litigation; Intellectual Property Portfolio Management; Intellectual Property Prosecution; Intellectual Property Rights; International Intellectual Property; Mechanical Intellectual Property.Email: Steven C. Balsarotti

Scott A. Smith (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, Texas; 2004, Missouri; U.S. District, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Court; registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Marquette University-Milwaukee (B.S., Mechanical Engineer) Phi Delta Phi; St. Mary's University of San Antonio (J.D.). Scott Smith's legal practice includes all aspects of intellectual property law, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications with an emphasis on mechanical matters. He also counsels clients regarding copyright and trademark issues, including registration and enforcement. Mr. Smith has over five years engineering experience in machine design, industrial refrigeration design, and thermodynamics. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; State Bar of Texas. Special Agencies: The St. Mary's Alumni Association; The Angel Tree Committee of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. Practice Areas: Patents; Trademarks; Copyrights; Intellectual Property Litigation; International Intellectual Property; Trade Secrets.Email: Scott A. Smith

OF COUNSEL

Edward A. Boeschenstein (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1962, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Washington University (B.S.M.E., 1959; J.D., 1962). Tau Beta Pi; Phi Delta Phi. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The Missouri Bar; American Intellectual Property Law Association. Practice Areas: Patent; Trademark; Intellectual Property.Email: Edward A. Boeschenstein

Glen E. Books (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1971, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; 1985, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (Not admitted in Missouri). Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., Physics); Rutgers University (B.A., Mathematics, highest honors; B.A, Biology, honors); Columbia University (LL.B.). Pi Mu Epsilon; Alpha Sigma Lambda. Member: American Intellectual Property Law Association. (Resident, Basking Ridge, New Jersey Office). Reported Cases: Bruning v. Hirose, 161 F. 3d 681 (Fed. Cir. 1988). Practice Areas: Patent Prosecution; Patent Litigation.Email: Glen E. Books

Carol J. Hamilton (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1988, Missouri; 1996, Illinois. Education: Central Missouri State University (B.A.; M.A.); Washington University (J.D.). Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; The American Intellectual Property Law Association; The International Trademark Association. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Trademarks; Copyrights; Internet Issues; related Litigation.Email: Carol J. Hamilton

Ronald W. Hind (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1966, Missouri; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Durham, England (B.S. in C.E.); St. Louis University (J.D.). Member, Inst. of Civil Engineers, G.B.; Reg. P.E., Missouri and Great Britain. Member: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis; Missouri Bar; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Intellectual Property; Patent; Trademark; Copyrights; Unfair Competition.Email: Ronald W. Hind