Jeff Blake is a partner in Merchant's Atlanta office and serves as co-chair of the firm's Litigation Practice Group. His practice involves all aspects of intellectual property litigation and counseling, including patent disputes in the electrical, software, pharmaceutical, and consumer-technology fields. His experience includes district court litigation, U.S. International Trade Commission investigations, inter partes review (IPR) and ex parte reexamination (EPR) proceedings, and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Jeff brings value to his clients by studying every aspect of the client’s business so that he can focus his representation on issues that matter. He develops practical strategies around the client's commercial goals and works closely with in-house teams throughout the life of a dispute. This allows Jeff to both identify opportunities to monetize a client’s intellectual property assets and successfully defend a client accused of infringing another’s intellectual property.
An experienced trial attorney, Jeff has represented electronics and consumer-technology companies in patent infringement litigation involving semiconductor circuitry, microprocessor hardware and software, network security, televisions and telephony, automotive software, engine ignition systems, commercial wire and cable products, homebuilding products, and near-field communication technology. He has also represented major pharmaceutical companies in numerous litigations brought under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. His work has spanned district court and appellate litigation, Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, and post-grant practice before the USPTO.
In addition, Jeff has litigated copyright infringement and unfair-competition actions, negotiated patent-portfolio licenses, advised on product clearance, and handled disputes involving misuse of internet domain names under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. Jeff also represents clients pro bono through the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the non-profit Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts.