Merri C. Moken, holding more than 18 years of intellectual property and commercial experience, is a member of the Intellectual Property and Litigation practice of Paul Hastings, based in the firm's New York office. Her broad-based litigation practice includes patent, trademark, and commercial litigation in the biotech, regenerative medicine, chemical, and pharmaceutical fields, as well as the mechanical and electrical arts. She has appeared before federal district and appellate courts, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). Ms. Moken also represents numerous high-profile clients in internal or third-party investigations, related contract negotiations, and media-related efforts.

Patent, Trademark, and Commercial Litigation. Ms. Moken has served as lead counsel in a number of patent and trademark infringement and commercial litigations and has successfully argued claim constructions and numerous motions, including for injunctive relief, summary judgment, and pretrial motions at the U.S. District Court level. Ms. Moken represents both plaintiffs and defendants concerning patent infringement, validity, and enforceability. She also represents internationally-based clients and has served as counsel in both domestic and foreign proceedings. Her litigation practice relies on her knowledge of diverse technologies, a thoughtful and consider-all-angles approach, and her command of the deposition room and courtroom.  She has been successful through both jury and bench trials. Ms. Moken's extensive experience in Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) litigation has been particularly advantageous for her pharmaceutical clients. She has both enforced and defended against the assertion of patent rights with respect to a wide array of scientific disciplines. She also has litigated and counseled clients in the medical device arena, including with respect to drug-eluting stents, transdermal drug delivery systems, biologic and synthetic surgical meshes, and revolutionary hip and knee replacement technology. In addition, Ms. Moken has an extensive knowledge of engineering technologies, including in the communication device, automotive, digital surveillance, Internet, and cable industries.

Client Counseling Related to IP and Corporate Strategy. Ms. Moken’s practice includes client counseling, due diligence, licensing, trade secrets, unfair competition, dispute resolution, opinion work, contract-related matters and strategy for defining and achieving intellectual property and business goals. Her portfolio evaluations of M&A targets worldwide have included all forms of intellectual property, particularly in the chemical, biologics, and medical device spaces. Ms. Moken's licensing work also has largely focused in these spaces internationally, and has included chimeric antigen receptor and other antibody technologies, as well as the use of machine-learning solutions in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Moken gained practical work experience at several pharmaceutical companies, providing her with a real-world perspective and a significant understanding of underlying technologies. This experience gives her valuable insight into managing both the business and intellectual property goals of her clients, as well as providing creative solutions to help them reach those goals. Ms. Moken also spent several years performing independent research, discovering that disinfectants induce the expression of the mar gene, conferring multiple antibiotic resistance in bacteria. As an undergraduate at Princeton University, her scientific research and thesis focused on metal-assisted assembly of multi-helix protein bundles.

• Named a Rising Star, New York Metro Super Lawyers magazine, 2014–2020
• Named Most Trusted Pharmaceutical Litigation Specialist—New York, Global Health & Pharma magazine, 2017
• Named Pharmaceutical Patent Litigator of the Year, Women in Health Awards, Global Health & Pharma magazine, 2017
• Recipient of Acquisition International’s Global Excellence Award, Best for Healthcare Device Law - New Zealand, 2017
• Named Worldwide Law Review's 2017 Healthcare, Life Sciences & Pharmaceutical Awards, Excellence in Medical Device Patent Litigation, 2017

• Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2004 (High honors in concentration of litigation and dispute resolution)
• Princeton University, B.A. Chemistry, 2001