Luke Meriwether is a partner in the firm’s Kansas City office where he focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation. Luke is a seasoned, skilled litigator and trusted adviser who partners with clients to find solutions to their most challenging IP disputes. Luke understands that providing effective counsel is more than simply knowing the law. It requires a clear understanding of the client’s business, needs, and objectives in order to craft a winning strategy that achieves the client’s goals.

For more than 15 years, Luke has formulated and executed strategies for clients to navigate all levels of intellectual property disputes—from pre-suit investigations and negotiations through litigation, trial, and appeal. 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, such as retail and consumer products, agribusiness, shipping and transportation, film and television production, software, consumer electronics, financial institutions, life sciences, probiotics, healthcare, construction, architecture, and manufacturing.

Beyond litigation, Luke provides strategic IP counseling that helps reduce risk and unlock value for his clients. 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. 

Before entering private practice, Luke served as a judicial law clerk to the late Honorable Scott O. Wright at the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Areas of Focus

Experience

Patent Litigation and Appeals

  • Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC, et al. v. Munchkin, Inc. (D. Conn.; C,D, Cal.; ITC; PTAB): Represented 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 successful 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.): Represented Ergobaby in defense of patent infringement claim pertaining to baby bouncer product.
  • The Ergobaby Carrier, Inc. v. BabyBjorn AB (W.D. Tex.; S.D.N.Y.): Represented Ergobaby in prosecution of utility patent infringement claims relating to baby carrier 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.

  • Munchkin, Inc. v. Luv N' Care, Ltd., et al. (C.D. Cal.; Fed. Cir.): Represented Munchkin in prosecution of patent infringement claims and related appeal involving spillproof cup products for toddlers.
  • ScriptPro LLC v. Innovation Associates, Inc. (D. Kan.; Fed. Cir.): Represented ScriptPro in successful prosecution of patent claims and related appeals relating to robotics-based pharmacy packing and sorting solutions.
  • 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.
  • 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.): Represented 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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.

Credentials

Education

  • The University of Tulsa College of Law (J.D., 2007)
  • The University of Tulsa (B.S., Business Administration, cum laude, 2003)

Clerkship

  • Law Clerk for the Honorable Scott O. Wright, United States District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2007-2009

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Missouri

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Recognitions

  • World Trademark Review, "Leading Trademark Lawyer," 2023-2025
  • Missouri Lawyers Media, "Up & Coming Award" Honoree, 2020
  • Ingram's, "40 Under Forty," Class of 2020
  • Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2017

Professional Activities

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

Community Involvement

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