Cole Merritt

Cole Merritt is an Associate in Cooley LLP's intellectual property litigation practice, with a focus on patent disputes. His practice encompasses a broad range of technologies, including mechanical, medical, electrical, and computer devices, as well as pharmaceuticals, software, and consumer products. He also handles matters involving patent interferences, trade secret misappropriation, and Section 337 investigations before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Merritt primarily represents defendants in patent litigation, having appeared twice on the defense side in tracked cases. Notably, he was part of the Cooley team that secured a decisive victory for Caihong Display Devices Co. Ltd. in an ITC investigation (337-TA-1441) initiated by Corning Incorporated, where a preliminary ruling found Caihong's current glass substrate formula did not infringe Corning's patents. He also contributed to a Cooley team that obtained a finding of no interference-in-fact for client RSB Spine following a bench trial in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Merritt earned his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was Order of the Coif, in 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, magna cum laude, in Mechanical Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, awarded in 2015.