PARTNER
J.D., M.S. Engineering

e-mail: srm@fdml.com

SHELDON R. MEYER is a founding partner of the firm. He advises high-technology clients involved with computer system architecture, computer peripherals and software, interactive video devices, video set-top converters, flat panel and CRT displays, digital signal processing, analog and digital electronic design automation, semiconductor devices and processing, medical devices, electronic measuring devices, and other high-technology products. His practice includes a full range of intellectual property matters, including extensive technology licensing and legal counseling with respect to intellectual property protection strategies.

Mr. Meyer also serves as litigation counsel in a variety of intellectual property litigation matters at the Federal District Court and Appellate Court levels, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as arbitration counsel before the American Arbitration Association, and International Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Meyer's representative litigation includes the following:

SyQuest Technology v. Micro Storage (obtaining key injunctions concerning misappropriation of disk drive technology), Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx (obtaining an injunction concerning copyright infringement of video game technology which was appealed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)

Ultrapure v. HTC and Kinetic Systems, Inc. (defending successfully against claim of trademark infringement and trade secret misappropriation for ultra-high purity semiconductor processing equipment)

Security Dynamics Technologies, Inc., v. VASCO Data Security International, Inc. and VASCO Data Security, Inc. (defending successfully against claims of patent infringement concerning four patents covering encryption software and hardware security tokens)

RSA and MIT v. VASCO Data Security International, Inc. and VASCO data Security, Inc. (defending successfully against a claim of patent infringement concerning a software encryption patent)

Austria Mikro Systeme International v. Tegal Corporation, and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration (defending successfully against a patent indemnity claim resulting from a suit by Lucent Technology)

Richard Chao v. Toshikazu Iwamoto (Pentex), Patent Interference before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

ibid., Inc. v. Tamotsu Yagi Design, Familiar and Henri Charpentier (copyright infringement action dealing with violation of visual work for consumer products)

LeveLite v. Toolz (patent infringement action dealing with laser alignment tools)

Mitek Corporation v. Holoplex, Inc. (trademark opposition)

PLS-Pacific Laser Systems v. TLZ, Inc., dba Toolz (patent infringement action dealing with semiconductor processing tools)

Tegal Corporation v. Raines Technologies, et al. (patent infringement action dealing with semiconductor processing tools)

Tegal Corporation v. Lam Research Corporation (patent infringement action dealing with semiconductor processing tools)

Mr. Meyer has also served more than fifteen years as an arbitrator. His U.S. District Court and American Arbitration Association appointments (both domestic and international) have involved: patent and trademark licenses, software source code development agreements, computer hardware distribution agreements, software distribution agreement ($5 million dollar claim), patent infringement ($30 million dollar claim), and interactive television technology license agreement and patent infringement ($150 million dollar claim).

Education

Mr. Meyer holds a B.S. Engineering (1968), with Highest Honors, from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. Engineering (1970) from Stanford University, and a J.D. (1974) from the University of California School of Law at Davis. He attended the University of California at Berkeley MBA program (1971).
 

Legal Affiliations

Mr. Meyer is a member of the State Bar of California (1974) and the Bar of the District of Columbia (1976) and is admitted to practice before the following courts:

United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern District of California

He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1975).

Prior Experience

Prior to founding the firm in 1982, Mr. Meyer was an associate attorney with Larsen, Taylor & Hinds, Washington, D.C. (1974- 1977) and a partner with Phillips, Moore, Lempio & Majestic, San Francisco, California (1977-1982).
 

Professional Activities

Mr. Meyer is an arbitrator for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and the American Arbitration Association. He is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, the San Francisco Intellectual Property Law Association, the Engineering Honor Society of Tau Beta Pi and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In addition, Mr. Meyer is active in the Licensing Executives Society which promotes worldwide technology licensing.

Lectures
 

Mr. Meyer has been a guest lecturer on current patent, trademark and copyright law topics at Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Santa Clara. Mr. Meyer's presentations include the following:

The Basics of Copyright Law, Lorman Education Services; July 2000
Inequitable Conduct, Laches, and Other Nonstatutory Defenses, Practicing Law Institute; October 1998, 1999, 2000

Publications

Mr. Meyer authored Inequitable Conduct, Laches, and Other Non-Statutory Defenses (Download PDF, 128k) Practicing Law Institute, PATENT LITIGATION 1998 (October 1998) and 1999 (September 1999); Patent Litigation Before the International Trade Commission and Its Effectiveness, Practicing Law Institute, Patent Litigation 1992, (November 1992), and 1993 (November 1993).

Representative Litigation

Austria Mikro Systeme International v. Tegal Corporation
Richard Chao v. Toshikazu Iwamoto (Pentex)
Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx
Datrek v. Encompass Procermex v. China Bazaar
ibid., Inc. v. Tamotsu Yagi Design, Familiar and Henry Charpentier
LeveLite v. Toolz
Mitek Corporation v. Holoplex, Inc.
PLS-Pacific Laser Systems v. TLZInc.dba Toolz
RSA and MIT v. VASCO Data Security International, Inc. and VASCO Data Security, Inc.
Security Dynamics Technologies, Inc., v. VASCO Data Security International, Inc. and VASCO Data Security, Inc.
Sweet Things v. Nabisco Brands
SyQuest Technology v. Micro Storage
Tegal Corporation v. Raines Technologies, et al.
Tegal Corporation v. Lam Research Corporation
UltraPure v. HTC and Kinetic Systems, Inc.