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Joseph W. Dubis, Ph.D.

he / him / his

Partner

Assistant

Anne-Marie Larkin

Joseph W. Dubis, Ph.D. photo

A partner in Merchant’s Minneapolis office, Joseph Dubis brings a creative, tenacious approach to complex patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret disputes, as well as appellate and post-grant proceedings. Joe thrives on matters that demand rigorous analysis, developing a deep understanding of the legal, technical, and strategic issues that shape a dispute. He distills that complexity to identify the issues that matter most and develops focused, inventive strategies for advancing his clients’ objectives. Whether positioning a case for favorable resolution or preparing it for trial, Joe is a determined advocate who combines careful analysis with a relentless defense of his clients’ interests.

Joseph is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a degree in biology. Following undergrad, Joseph received a doctorate in biology and biomedical science with an emphasis in neurosciences from Washington University in St. Louis. While there, he used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how groups of regions of the human brain, known as networks, manifest task instructions during tasks. His attention-focused research on adults may be used to help diagnose attention disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Tourette syndrome in children.

Joseph Dubis graduated summa cum laude and salutatorian from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. At Mitchell Hamline, he was a staff member on the Cybaris® Intellectual Property Law Review, publishing an article entitled “Inter Partes Review: A Multi-Method Comparison for Challenging Patent Validity,” and was later an executive editor for the journal.

Joe has been honored as a Minnesota Lawyer Attorney of the Year, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, and Minnesota Monthly’s Best Lawyers in Minnesota. Joseph is a regular contributor to Minnesota State Bar Association’s Bench & Bar periodical.

In his free time now, Joseph enjoys participating in and watching a variety of sports and being outdoors and on the lake fishing and boating. He also likes to cook and bake when time allows.

  • Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D., 2016,

    summa cum laude, Salutatorian (William Mitchell Legacy); Cybaris®, an Intellectual Property Law Review, Executive Editor

  • Washington University in St. Louis, Ph.D Biological and Medical Sciences (Neurosciences), 2013
  • University of St. Thomas, B.S. Biology, 2008
  • Minnesota State Bar, 2016
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 2012
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Michigan, 2025
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2024
  • U.S District Court - District of Colorado, 2019
  • U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 2016
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (2021 – 2027)
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star (2022-2026)
  • Mpls. St. Paul Magazine Top Attorneys in Minnesota Rising Stars (2022)
  • Attorney of the Year – Groups, by Minnesota Lawyer (2017)
  • Eagle Scout
  • NYIPLA Endorses Patent Office Change to Phillips Claim Construction Standard, IPWatchDog (August 3, 2018)
  • Monthly columnist, Bench & Bar of Minnesota – official publication of the Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Inter Partes Review: A Multi-Method Comparison for Challenging Patent Validity, Cybaris® Intellectual Property Law Review

Quoted:

  • Fed. Circ.’s FRAND Decision Will Put Spotlight On Juries, Law360 (December 13, 2019)