Joann M. Neth Ph.D.
Partner
Joann Neth focuses on patent and trade secret litigation in federal and state courts, client counseling, and opinion matters. She has worked closely with in-house attorneys of major domestic and international chemical companies in order to understand their technologies and business objectives and to provide them with practical, well-informed legal advice.
Dr. Neth has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation throughout the United States, from the prelitigation investigation/opinion stage, through pleadings, discovery, hearings, and ultimately trial. She has litigated patent infringement and trade secret lawsuits in a wide variety of technological areas, including polymer and plastic materials, polymerization processes and catalysts, cosmetics, textiles, bioethanol from bacterial fermentation, papermaking, and cryogenic distillation. She has also assisted clients in exploring and employing alternatives to litigation, such as design-around options, settlement negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
In addition to her litigation work, Dr. Neth's practice includes the preparation of opinions on complex patent validity, enforceability and infringement issues in a wide variety of chemical technologies. She has also provided due diligence counseling and opinion advice on intellectual property transfers arising from joint venture formation.
Highlights
- Ciba Specialty Chemicals v. Hercules Inc. (D. Del.). Led team and successfully defended Hercules against charge of patent infringement (paper-making polymers) by Ciba, winning summary judgment of non-infringement and winning bench trial on privity issue.
- Cryovac, Inc. v. Pechiney Plastic Packaging (D. Del.). Represented Cryovac, Inc. in assertion of patent infringement against Pechiney Plastic Packaging (plastic film packaging) that resulted in jury finding of infringement, lost profits damages, and upholding validity of Cryovac's patent.
- GlaxcoSmithKline v. Synthon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (M.D. N.C.). Represented GlaxoSmithkline in Hatch-Waxman suit involving multibillion dollar antidepressant, Paxil® with consent judgment and injunction issuing on behalf of GlaxoSmithkline based on settlement agreement.
- Hercules v. Danaklon (N.D. Ga.). Represented Hercules Inc. in patent infringement suit involving polypropylene fibers that resulted in settlement favorable to Hercules.
- Served as head of firm’s litigation section, 2006-2008; and on the firm’s management committee.
- Served on the Virginia Journal of Environmental Law, 1987-1989.
Professional Activities
- District of Columbia Bar
- American Bar Association
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- American Chemical Society
- Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia
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