Joseph R. Re

Joseph R. Re is a highly experienced patent litigator and trial attorney at Knobbe Martens, specializing in high-stakes intellectual property disputes, particularly in the medical device and high-tech sectors. His practice encompasses a broad range of technologies, including internet search filtering software, mechanical thrombectomy systems, and patient-monitoring technology. Mr. Re demonstrates versatility by representing both patent holders and accused infringers, having appeared on both the plaintiff and defendant sides in tracked cases. His extensive appellate experience includes arguing dozens of appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of both patent holders and accused infringers.

A partner at Knobbe Martens since 1990, Mr. Re is known for achieving substantial results for his clients. He was lead appellate counsel in I/P Engine, Inc. v. AOL, Inc. et al., where the Federal Circuit ultimately reversed a lower court's over $30 million damages award, invalidating the asserted internet search filtering patents as anticipated and obvious. In the ongoing Inari Medical, Inc. v. Imperative Care, Inc. litigation concerning mechanical thrombectomy systems, he has acted as both lead counsel for the defendant and attorney for the plaintiff, with aspects of the case involving inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.

Beyond these, Mr. Re has secured significant victories, including a $466 million jury verdict for Masimo Corp. against Philips Electronics North America in a patient-monitoring technology dispute, which later settled for $300 million and a joint marketing agreement. He also obtained a $134.5 million verdict for Masimo against Nellcor, which settled for $330 million and future royalties after Federal Circuit affirmation. Notably, he led trial teams in patent and trade secret cases against Apple related to the Apple Watch, resulting in a $636 million jury verdict for patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation, as well as an International Trade Commission exclusion order. Overall, he has obtained four nine-figure jury verdicts averaging over $400 million each for clients Masimo and Applied Medical.

Mr. Re is recognized for his experience in post-grant review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), having been noted as a "Top Performer" in Patexia's 2023 PTAB Intelligence Report. He holds a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law and a B.S. in civil engineering from Rutgers University. He is admitted to the State Bars of California and New York.