Careers

At M&G, we dedicate ourselves to finding the best solutions to our clients’ challenges, no matter where it takes us.

Case Studies

Industries

Offices

About Merchant & Gould

Pages

People

News Room

Practices

Staff

Home - Merchant & Gould P.C.

John Kern specializes in patent prosecution, patent litigation, and post-grant review proceedings, offering a multifaceted approach to intellectual property law. His adept handling of inter partes review (IPR) proceedings and appellate practice before the USPTO Patent Trial &amp; Appeal Board distinguishes his work, benefiting clients with his in-depth knowledge of the patent landscape. John's strategic counsel in reexamination matters and his representation of clients in high-stakes district court and U.S. International Trade Commission litigation underscore his comprehensive approach to protecting and defending intellectual property rights.

core/paragraph

As a partner at Merchant in the Washington D.C. Area office, John is a member of the Electrical Practice Group. Leveraging his engineering background and technological insight, he adeptly addresses complex patent issues in various industries, including semiconductor devices, communication networks, medical devices, and automotive technologies. John's command of video coding/compression, display devices, printers, microlithography, nanotechnology, and analog/digital circuit design equips him to advise clients at the forefront of innovation.

John's experience as an electrical engineer informs his pragmatic view when drafting and prosecuting patent applications, ensuring they are robust and defensible. Beyond his patent-centric services, John is skilled in delivering infringement and validity opinions, formulating claims to address industry standards, and overseeing patent pool evaluations and administration. His commitment to intellectual property law is reflected in the trust and success of his clients, which include industry leaders in the semiconductor, telecommunications, and information technology sectors.

George Mason University - School of Law, J.D.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B.S. Electrical Engineering

Washington, D.C. Area

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Five new hires bring decades of experience, leadership and innovation</h2>



Merchant &amp; Gould welcomes Daniel J. Pereira, Ph.D., John S. Kern, Eric W. Schweibenz, and Donald R. McPhail, as Partners and Alexander B. Englehart, as Of Counsel in its Washington D.C. Area office. The new additions will expand Merchant &amp; Gould’s capabilities in handling International Trade Commission (ITC) cases, complex IP litigation, post-grant proceedings, patent prosecution, and strategic IP portfolio management, as well as increase its presence in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea.



“We are continually investing in serving our client base worldwide, and this group will deepen our bench nationally and increase our existing presence in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea,” said Heather Kliebenstein, Managing Director and Partner at Merchant &amp; Gould. “Each of these experienced attorneys brings the right cross-culture experience and technical background that we want at Merchant &amp; Gould.”



All five hires look forward to continuing their work in the D.C. area, serving clients worldwide. Merchant &amp; Gould’s long-standing reputation for stability, creative legal solutions, collaboration and technologically advanced systems attracted the latest hires.&nbsp;



“Transitioning to Merchant &amp; Gould was the right move for us and our clients. We are excited to join such a dynamic firm that has superior technical strength, advanced internal systems and processes, extensive trial experience, and breadth of knowledge in all areas of intellectual property,” said Pereira. Dr. Pereira most recently served as the Managing Partner and previously led the Chemical Practice Group at Oblon. Mr. Kern and Mr. Schweibenz formerly led the Electrical/Mechanical and Litigation Practice Groups, respectively.



One of the oldest full-service intellectual property and trial law firms in America, Merchant &amp; Gould evolves with technology, just like its client base. Through harnessing and pioneering advanced legal solutions, they have established themselves as an indispensable partner in delivering exceptional legal guidance and service to their clients.



“When we look to add new talent to our team at Merchant &amp; Gould, we want to find people who have the right mindset — forward-thinking, collaborative and client-focused,” Kliebenstein shared. “Each of these attorneys embodies those values and will carry our firm’s legacy forward.”

Strategic Power Move: Merchant & Gould Lures Quintet of Highly-Experienced Attorneys to Supercharge DC Office and Accelerate Asia Expansion

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have been included in&nbsp;The Best Lawyers in America©&nbsp;2025.



Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting peer-reviewed surveys in which lawyers confidentially evaluate their colleagues. Since lawyers are not permitted to purchase their rankings or pay a fee to participate, a Best Lawyers listing is considered an unbiased honor.



Atlanta, GA



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Jeffrey D. Blake 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Patent Law</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Minneapolis, MN



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>John A. Clifford 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Advertising Law</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Patent Law</li>



<li>Trademark Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Andrew S. Ehard 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Trademark Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Thomas R. Johnson 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Advertising Law</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Scott W. Johnston 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Trademark Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Heather J. Kliebenstein 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Thomas J. Leach 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Brent E. Routman 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Advertising Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Christopher J. Schulte 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>William D. Schultz 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Christopher J. Sorenson 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Anthony R. Zeuli 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Copyright Law</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>



<li>Patent Law</li>



<li>Trademark Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Rachel Zimmerman Scobie 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



New York, NY



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Peter A. Gergely 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Intellectual Property</li>



<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Alexandria, VA



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>John S. Kern 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Litigation &#8211; Patent</li>



<li>Patent Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Daniel J. Pereira 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice</li>



<li>Patent Law</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Eric W. Schweibenz 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Patent Law</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Merchant & Gould Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® in 2025 in America.

Merchant is proud to announce that 17 of our attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America®, with an additional attorney honored in Ones to Watch by Best Lawyers.  



This recognition, based entirely on peer-reviewed evaluations, highlights our attorneys’ steadfast commitment to protecting their clients’ most valuable ideas.



Minneapolis, MN&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>John A. Clifford  </li>



<li>Andrew S. Ehard  </li>



<li>Thomas R. Johnson  </li>



<li>Scott W. Johnston  </li>



<li>Heather J. Kliebenstein  </li>



<li>Thomas J. Leach</li>



<li>Brent E. Routman</li>



<li>Christopher J. Schulte  </li>



<li>William D. Schultz  </li>



<li>Christopher J. Sorenson  </li>



<li>Anthony R. Zeuli  </li>



<li>Rachel Zimmerman Scobie  </li>
</ul>



Atlanta, GA



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Jeffrey D. Blake</li>
</ul>



New York, NY&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Peter A. Gergely  </li>
</ul>



Alexandria, VA&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>John S. Kern  </li>



<li>Daniel J. Pereira  </li>



<li>Eric W. Schweibenz  </li>
</ul>



Ones to Watch&nbsp;&nbsp;



Minneapolis, MN&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Joseph W. Dubis, Ph.D.</li>
</ul>

Seventeen Merchant & Gould Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America®2026; One Recognized in Ones to Watch

Electrical & Software

Litigation

Temika McKissick

Partner

John S. Kern

Professional

IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals &#8211; DC Metro Area, 2025 
The Best Lawyers in America (2024-2026) 
Recognized by IP Stars by Managing IP (2021-2023, 2025)

John S. Kern

Practices

Education

Admissions

Professional

Awards & Recognition