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.

Joe Gess is the managing partner of Merchant &amp; Gould's Washington, D.C. area office and chair of the firm's Chemical &amp; Life Sciences practice group. Patent law is the perfect career for his interest in chemistry, bio/pharma, and law, allowing him to focus on developing relationships with clients large and small.

contentpilot/introduction

Joe's practice is concentrated on client counseling, preparing intellectual property strategies, and patent prosecution. He is also&nbsp;experienced in conducting due diligence studies, Section 337 actions before the International Trade Commission, and trademark protection and maintenance.

core/paragraph

He focuses on the chemical and bio/pharma areas, including preparation of opinions regarding pharmaceutical products in support of ANDA applications, as well as alternative fuels, including biofuels. Battery technology is a particular area of expertise, both lithium and ion batteries.&nbsp;Joe has experience in additives, chemical and gas processing, polymer chemistry, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, herbicides, photographic materials and products, paper chemistry and processing, fiberglass materials, emulsions, including explosive emulsions, ink jet inks and paper and materials for use in optical mass data storage, nanotechnology materials and their applications.

While attending law school, Joe Gess worked in the patent department of a major oil company. He does work for large Fortune 100 companies as well as small product companies, taking part in preparing their patent portfolios and strategies for each.

George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1978, 

University of Michigan, B.S. Chemistry, 1974, 

Industrial Chemistry

Alternative Energy

Nanotechnology

Pharmaceuticals

Washington, D.C. Area

Merchant &amp; Gould P.C. is pleased to announce that patent attorneys Joerg-Uwe Szipl and Donald A. Gregory joined the firm’s D.C. office as partners.&nbsp;



Joerg-Uwe joined the Merchant &amp; Gould on Sept. 16, 2019, bringing more than 37 years of global experience in litigation, prosecution, opinion work and licensing of patent, trademark and copyright cases. &nbsp;Specifically, he represents clients in diverse technologies, such as computer software, electronics, physics, chemistry and polymer science, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, automobile technology and consumer products.&nbsp;



Joerg-Uwe is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and in the District of Columbia, before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, before the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, before the U.S. International Trade Commission, and before the U.S. Supreme Court.



Before joining Merchant &amp; Gould, Joerg-Uwe was the president and owner of his own IP law firm, Griffin and Szipl PC.&nbsp; Prior to that, he was an associate with Cushman, Darby and Cushman in Washington, D.C., and a consultant with Nakamura and Partners in Tokyo, Japan.



<a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/Professionals/Donald-A-Gregory">Donald</a> joined the firm on Jan. 2, 2020, bringing more than 40 years of experience advising clients on the development, procurement, use, management, protection, and enforcement of intellectual property rights in a variety of technical areas and industries, including medical devices, automotive racing, industrial and machine tools, closures, mining, fasteners, aerospace, software, electrical power generation and nuclear energy.&nbsp; He also focuses on intellectual property licensing and acquisition in the areas of software, retailing, restaurants, entertainment, television production, manufacturing and marketing.&nbsp;



Donald is admitted to practice law in Virginia and in the District of Columbia, before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.



Donald joins Merchant &amp; Gould from Blank Rome LLP, also in Washington, D.C.&nbsp; Before then, he was a partner at Dickstein Shapiro LLP; patent counsel for Philip Morris; a patent attorney for McDermott Inc.; and a nuclear engineer for The Babcock &amp; Wilcox Company.



“Joerg-Uwe and Don bring experience and global perspective to intellectual property law and to our firm, and we are thrilled to add them to our leadership team,” said Joe Gess, managing partner of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Washington, D.C., office.&nbsp; “Their practices span some of the most innovative and important industries in the world. With their extensive experience and deep technical knowledge, we will be better suited to address many of the technical issues emerging today.”

Merchant & Gould Hires Two Patent Attorneys, as Washington Office Grows

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to have welcomed associates Catherine (Kate) S. Mayer and Hayley Ostrin to its legal team on Oct. 12. &nbsp;Both Kate and Hayley specialize in Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which involve unfair and injurious competition in trade.



Kate helps businesses protect their intellectual property rights against unfair practices, including patent and trademark infringement and trade secret misappropriation. &nbsp;Having been a part of many successful cases before the ITC, she works to protect brands and products in large and small industries. Kate also has handled several trade secret cases, a rarity within the ITC. &nbsp;Kate’s experience includes all phases of Section 337 investigations, from pre-complaint through trial and Commission briefing, and she has led trainings related to Section 337 strategy and procedure. &nbsp;Kate received her B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. &nbsp;



Hayley’s practice includes IP litigation and counseling, with particular emphasis on Section 337 investigations before the ITC. &nbsp;Like Kate, her experience with Section 337 investigations encompasses pre-complaint investigations through trial and Commission briefing, and she has extensive knowledge of ITC procedural and substantive issues, discovery and trial strategies, and other nuances of this unique practice area. &nbsp;Hayley’s background as a sales engineer, which encompassed product management for multiple Fortune 500 companies, instilled a deep understanding for how trade and intellectual property affect a company’s ability to innovate. &nbsp;She received her B.S. and M.S. in Bioengineering from the University of California (Riverside), and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law.



“Hayley and Kate are excellent additions to Merchant &amp; Gould, as we expand our litigation capabilities. Their international trade experience and focus on Section 337 investigations will be invaluable to our clients looking to protect their global assets,” said E. Joseph Gess, managing partner of Merchant &amp; Gould’s D.C.-area office. “Our office is well situated and located for this type of work, and the backgrounds and insight offered by Hayley and Kate will greatly enhance our ITC practice capabilities.”



Josh Hartman, who joined Merchant &amp; Gould last month as a partner to lead the firm’s ITC specialty within the Litigation Practice Group, added, “With the evolution of our global economy, the ITC is more important than ever as a forum for intellectual property and unfair competition disputes. &nbsp;Kate, Hayley and I are excited to have joined Merchant &amp; Gould and to bring collective relief to our clients in Section 337 matters.” &nbsp;

Merchant & Gould Hires Two Associates in D.C.-Area Office

Other Attorneys Recognized for Pro Bono Hours and CLC Distinction



Merchant &amp; Gould’s Pro Bono Committee announced the firm’s 2021 Pro Bono Awards to attorneys who have dedicated their time to helping their communities through pro bono legal services and their deep commitment.&nbsp;



A special congratulations goes to Sheila Niaz (Minneapolis) who performed more than 300 hours of pro bono legal work this year. &nbsp;Sheila’s pro bono work included preparing several patent applications in connection with LegalCORPS and assisting on the appeal of a criminal conviction. &nbsp;She is the sole recipient of Merchant &amp; Gould’s 2021 Pro Bono Award.



In addition, we want to recognize Rachel Hughey (Minneapolis) who has since been appointed as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District; Bill Hughet (D.C.); Mike Erbele (Minneapolis); Joe Gess (D.C.); Rachel Scobie (Minneapolis); and Ben Tramm (Minneapolis) for dedicating more than 40 hours of pro bono work this year.



We also want to applaud our Minneapolis team of attorneys who received Children’s Law Center (CLC) of Minnesota’s “Distinguished Service Award” this year: &nbsp; Karen Beckman, Eric Chad, Julie Daulton, Lindsay Hartman, Rachel Hughey, Bradley Kuxhausen, Anneliese Mayer, Elisabeth “Bette” Muirhead, Ryan Smith and Rachel Zimmerman Scobie, Tracey Skjeveland and Tony Zeuli (CLC board member). &nbsp;Merchant &amp; Gould was recognized for its “dedication and commitment to representing children and youth in foster care,” as well as the firm’s “immense impact on Minnesota children in need.”



Congratulations to Sheila and all the attorneys who continue to help make our communities even better!

Merchant & Gould Congratulates Sheila Niaz as the Firm’s Pro Bono Award Winner

Merchant &amp; Gould’s Pro Bono Committee announced the firm’s 2022 Pro Bono Awards to attorneys who have dedicated their time to helping their communities through pro bono legal services and their deep commitment.



A special congratulations goes to Bill Hughet (D.C.) who performed a total of 97 pro bono hours in 2022, spread out over multiple clients.&nbsp;He is the recipient of Merchant &amp; Gould’s 2022 Pro Bono Award.



In addition, Merchant &amp; Gould recognizes a few other people who went above and beyond in pro bono this year. Tom Johnson (Minneapolis) and Michael Erbele (Minneapolis) both recorded over 80 pro bono hours in 2022; and several other professionals recorded more than 40 pro bono hours, including Joe Gess (D.C.), Samuel Scholz (Minneapolis), Peter Gergely (New York), Rob Lyksett (Minneapolis), and Rachel Scobie (Minneapolis). In total, M&amp;G professionals recorded more than 1,100 pro bono hours last year, making an immense impact in several states around the country.



Congratulations to Bill and all the attorneys who continue to make our communities even better by providing pro bono legal services!

Merchant & Gould Congratulates Bill Hughet as the Firm’s 2022 Pro Bono Award Winner

Merchant &amp; Gould’s Pro Bono Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the firm’s 2024 Pro Bono Awards, celebrating the exceptional commitment of our attorneys to providing vital legal services to those in need.



Katherine Mares has been awarded the firm’s 2024 Pro Bono Award for her outstanding dedication, recording over 65 pro bono hours this year. Kate’s work primarily focused on pro bono patent cases, and she has also remained deeply involved in a long-running asylum matter, contributing her expertise to make a meaningful difference in her clients&#8217; lives.



Additionally, Bill Hughet deserves special recognition for his remarkable contribution of nearly 230 pro bono hours, reflecting his continued legacy of service and unwavering dedication to supporting underserved communities.



Several other dedicated professionals surpassed 40 pro bono hours in 2024, including Greg Golla, Scott Johnston, Joe Guess, and John Winemiller. Each of these individuals has demonstrated a strong commitment to the firm’s pro bono mission, embodying Merchant &amp; Gould’s values through their impactful work.



In total, Merchant &amp; Gould professionals recorded more than 950 pro bono hours across several states this year, furthering the firm’s mission to make a positive impact on our communities.



Congratulations to Kate, Bill, and all our attorneys who go above and beyond, using their talents to strengthen and support those around us!

Merchant & Gould Honors 2024 Pro Bono Award Recipients

Chemical & Life Sciences

Licensing

IP Due Diligence

Lisa Amos

Partner

E. Joseph Gess

American Bar Association 
American Intellectual Property Law Association 
District of Columbia Bar Association 
International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association 
Licensing Executives Society 
Intellectual Property Organization

Professional Affiliations

Selected as a ‘2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property’ by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell™
Achieved and maintained Martindale-Hubbell™ AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating, the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards

E. Joseph Gess

Practices

Industries

Education

Admissions

Professional Affiliations

Awards & Recognition