Joseph L. Johnson

Joe has provided legal representation as an intellectual property attorney for almost 30 years. In private practice, he has filed and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications and managed a trademark portfolio in excess of 1,000 marks. Representative clients include:  medical device designers and manufacturers; surgical instrument manufacturers; chemical companies, developers of enzymes, proteins and food additives; dental and orthodontia inventors; heavy suspension manufacturers; publishing companies; musicians; and artists. Additionally, he has represented many individuals and business in trademark, copyright, patent, and trade secret litigation in courts throughout the United States and managed contract review and contract negotiations for domestic and international corporations, including confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, supply chain contracts, asset purchase and sale documents, intellectual property license and assignment contracts, dispute resolution contracts, and many other business agreements. Joe’s clients also rely on him for guidance and services related to corporate formalities, documentation required for government compliance and audits, risk analysis, and product compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations. Joe litigated many business disputes in state and federal courts to both judges and juries as first chair. Further, he has been an expert witness in complex litigation matters involving intellectual property and in 2010 became a certified mediator for the federal courts of Missouri.

In 2018, Joe was hired by a long-time patent client to serve as its first in-house legal counsel. This company operated a group of international human food and animal feed production manufacturing facilities. During his tenure as in-house counsel, he oversaw all legal matters for the companies, including supply and sales contract negotiation and management, litigation management, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, global insurance coverage, and risk. Experience includes submission of regulatory matters for USDA and FDA approval. Company litigation management is diverse and includes contract claims, environmental risks, employment issues, intellectual property litigation, and prosecution of theft of trade secrets for injunctive and monetary damages. In 2019, Joe managed a $900 million divestiture of the business as seller’s counsel and was subsequently retained by the purchasing company as General Counsel North America. In that position, he provided legal management for numerous manufacturing facilities throughout North America and provided additional support for management and facilities in Europe and South America. He further managed multiple merger and acquisition projects and served as a member of the company’s global IP management group.