John Morrissett

Career

John focuses his intellectual property practice on patent portfolio management and strategic growth, client counseling, prosecution, litigation, and post-grant proceedings, though he also has experience with a wide variety of licensing, due diligence, and corporate acquisition matters.

John manages and strategically grows several large domestic and foreign patent portfolios for various electrical and mechanical technologies, including those used in payment systems and digital currency, network security, augmented and virtual reality, imaging, computer hardware and software, communication systems, rotational molding and other industrial manufacturing equipment, engines and fuel systems, automotive and heavy equipment vehicles, biomedical devices, and consumer products. He has drafted or overseen the drafting of hundreds of patent applications, as well as their subsequent prosecution. He counsels clients from product development through patenting and patent assertion. He has also overseen the intellectual property aspects of several strategic acquisitions and sales.

John has worked on several inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. He developed offensive and defensive strategies, prepared written submissions (from petitions and supporting declarations through motions and slide decks for oral hearings) and assisted with preparing technical experts for deposition and other discovery issues.

John’s district court experience includes every phase of litigation, from filing of the complaint to trial. He prepares noninfringement and invalidity positions, assists with fact discovery and preparation of fact and expert witnesses, drafts substantive briefings, and leads negotiations with opposing counsel. As part of managing discovery, he has also overseen and coordinated a large document review involving multiple law firms.

Prior to law school, John tested error correction methods for communication and radar systems at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. He was also involved in technical projects relating to website and database design and development, value stream mapping, quality control, ergonomic design, operations research, manufacturing, and construction (electrical, plumbing, concrete, and brickwork). He is familiar with computer programming languages such as C, C++, PHP, HTML, Java, and SQL, and has entry-level Cisco certification in networking.

Professional Memberships

Vice president, Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Law Association

American Intellectual Property Law Association

Virginia Bar Association (IP Section)

American Bar Association