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Luke Meriwether

Luke Meriwether is a partner in the firm's Kansas City office where he focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation. Luke has extensive experience litigating high-stakes patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret disputes (both enforcement and defense) in federal courts throughout the United States, as well as the U.S. International Trade Commission and Patent Trial and Appeal Board. His practice also includes significant experience litigating false advertising, reputation and brand disparagement, and unfair competition cases. Luke has successfully represented leading companies in a diverse set of industries, including agribusiness, shipping and transportation, film and television production, software, consumer electronics, financial institutions, life sciences, probiotics, healthcare, construction, architecture, and manufacturing, as well as retail and consumer products.

In addition to his vast litigation experience, Luke’s practice also involves providing clients with IP business counseling and strategy, as well as risk management guidance. This includes licensing, IP purchase and development agreements, trademark and copyright monitoring and enforcement strategies, copyright fair use analysis, noninfringement and freedom to operate opinions, creation of non-practicing entity risk management strategies, and company-wide trade secret protection programs. 

Luke has represented and advocated for clients in intellectual property disputes before the International Trade Commission (ITC); U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Central District of California; Southern District of California; District of Connecticut; District of Delaware; Northern District of Illinois; Central District of Illinois; Middle District of Florida; Southern District of Florida; District of Kansas; District of Maryland; Western District of Missouri; Eastern District of Missouri; Northern District of New York; Southern District of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Texas; Eastern District of Virginia; Western District of Washington; and Eastern District of Wisconsin. 

Luke is a former judicial law clerk to the late Honorable Scott O. Wright at the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Representative Experience

Patent Litigation and Appeals

  • Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC, et al. v. Munchkin, Inc. (D. Conn.; C,D, Cal.; ITC; PTAB): Representing Munchkin in defense of patent infringement claims pertaining to popular diaper pail refill products.
  • Munchkin, Inc. v. TOMY International, Inc. (N.D. Ill.): Representing Munchkin in prosecution of utility and design patent infringement claims relating to popular infant and toddler cup product.
  • BabyBjorn AB v. The Ergobaby Carrier, Inc. (C.D. Cal.): Representing Ergobaby in defense of patent infringement claim pertaining to baby bouncer product.
  • Continental Intermodal Group – Trucking LLC v. Sand Revolution LLC et al. (W.D. Tex; PTAB): Represented CIG in successful prosecution of patent infringement claims pertaining to modular proppant handling systems used in the hydraulic fracture drilling process.
  • Zebra Technologies Corp., et al. v. Typenex Medical LLC and Ward-Kraft, Inc. (N.D. Ill.; E.D. Mo): Represented Typenex and Ward-Kraft in defense of utility patent infringement claims relating to identification wristbands used in the medical industry, and related claims for trademark and trade dress infringement.
  • The Tire Hanger Corp. v. Shinn Fu Co. of America (C.D. Cal.): Represented Shinn Fu in defense of utility patent infringement claims involving apparatus for use on automotive lifts.
  • Munchkin, Inc. v. Luv N' Care, Ltd., et al. (C.D. Cal.; Fed. Cir.): Represented Munchkin in prosecution of patent infringement claims involving spillproof cup products for toddlers.
  • ScriptPro LLC v. Innovation Associates, Inc. (D. Kan.; Fed. Cir.): Represented ScriptPro in successful prosecution of patent claims relating to robotics-based pharmacy packing and sorting solutions.
  • The Ergobaby Carrier, Inc. v. Boba Inc. (C.D. Cal.): Represented Ergobaby in patent litigation involving baby carrier products.
  • MGPI Processing, Inc. v. Penford Corporation (D. Kan.): Represented MGPI in successful prosecution of patent infringement claims pertaining to methods for producing phosphorylated resistant starches.
  • Mantis Communications, LLC v. Jo-Ann Stores, LLC, et al. (E.D. Tex.): Represented Jo-Ann Stores in successful defense against claims of patent infringement by NPE involving mobile data communication systems.
  • Klever Marketing, Inc. v. Jo-Ann Stores, LLC (E.D. Tex.): Represented Jo-Ann Stores in defense of patent infringement claims made by NPE relating to systems for the delivery and use of graphical coupons to electronic communication devices.
  • Parallel Iron, LLC v. Adknowledge, Inc. et al. (D. Del.): Represented Adknowledge against claims of patent infringement made by NPE involving distributed file system software.
  • GeoTag, Inc. v. Alco Stores, Inc., et al. (E.D. Tex.): Represented Alco Stores in massive, 400+ defendant lawsuit against patent infringement claims made by NPE involving software systems allowing for the online search of information within a particular geographical area.

Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secret, Unfair Competition and False Advertising Litigation

  • WMTI Productions, Inc., et al. v. Propagate Content, LLC, et al. (C.D. Cal.): Representing Propagate in defense of copyright infringement allegations relating to hidden camera television shows.
  • New Prime, Inc. d/b/a Prime Inc. v. Amazon Logistics, Inc., et al. (W.D. Mo.; TTAB): Represented Prime Inc. in prosecution of trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition claims against Amazon.
  • Billy Goat IP LLC v. The Billy Goat Chip Company LLC (N.D. Ill.): Represented The Billy Goat Chip Company in successful defense of trademark infringement claims.
  • Compass Minerals America Inc. v. Gaia Enterprises, Inc. (D. Kan.; TTAB): Represented Compass Minerals in trademark litigation involving branding for pet-friendly deicing products.
  • Dutch Valley Growers, Inc., et al. v. Dutch Valley Partners, LLC, et al. (C.D. IL): Represented Dutch Valley Partners in successful defense of trademark infringement, dilution, and trade secret misappropriation claims involving agricultural products.
  • Playtex Products, LLC v. Munchkin, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Represented Munchkin in successful defense against false advertising claims pertaining to diaper pail refill products.
  • Munchkin, Inc. v. Playtex Products, LLC (C.D. Cal.): Represented Munchkin in successful defense against claims of false advertising and unfair competition involving diaper pail systems.
  • Exal Corp. v. Roeslein & Associates, Inc. (N.D. Ohio): Represented Exal in trade secret and tortious interference litigation involving the manufacture of aluminum bottle cans from coiled aluminum.
  • Hank Young v. KC Chiefs and Populous, Inc., et al. (W.D. Mo): Represented Populous in copyright litigation involving NFL team photographs used as part of stadium redesign.
  • Design Basics, LLC v. Strawn Corp., et al. (D. Kan.): Represented defendants in successfully defending against allegations of copyright infringement pertaining to architectural drawings and design plans for residential homes.
  • Hoefer Wysocki Architects, LLC v. Carnegie Management & Development Corp., et al. (W.D. Mo): Represented Carnegie in successful defense against claims of copyright infringement involving architectural development plans for a federal office complex.

Business Counseling and IP Enforcement Strategies

  • Designed strategy and executed trademark enforcement program for nationally known home mortgage lender and leading shipping and transportation company against multiple infringers throughout the United States.
  • Represented client in the eight-figure sale of its natural gas distribution business.
  • Designed strategy and executed trademark, copyright, and patent enforcement program for major infant and toddler product manufacturer against multiple infringers throughout the World.
  • Designed strategy and executed trademark and trade dress enforcement program for multinational energy corporation against multiple infringers throughout the United States.

Client Alerts and Blog Posts

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
  • The Missouri Bar

Community Involvement

  • The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City Tomorrow Class 39, 2018-2019
  • Western Missouri Soccer League, Board Member, 2010 – Present

Honors

  • World Trademark Review, "Leading Trademark Lawyer," 2023-2024
  • Missouri Lawyers Media, "Up & Coming Award" Honoree, 2020 
  • Ingram's, "40 Under Forty," Class of 2020
  • Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2017
Photo of Luke  Meriwether

Assistant

Lori Kleinschmidt
612.632.3441

Court Memberships

  • Missouri
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Education

University of Tulsa College of Law, J.D., 2007

University of Tulsa, B.S., Business Administration, cum laude, 2003

Clerkship(s)

  • Law Clerk for the Honorable Scott O. Wright, United States District Court, Western District of Missouri