Steve Howe

Steve Howe is a Partner at Husch Blackwell, focusing his practice on intellectual property disputes, particularly patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation lawsuits. His experience spans various technology areas, with a significant emphasis on representing pharmaceutical companies in Hatch-Waxman Act matters and generic drug (ANDA) litigation. Beyond pharmaceuticals, he handles cases involving agricultural equipment, electronics, telecommunications, and other mechanical products.

Mr. Howe primarily represents defendants and challengers in patent disputes, frequently working with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. For instance, he served as counsel for the defendant in Merck v. Apotex Inc. et al. and successfully represented TWi Pharmaceuticals in invalidating Merck's Mavenclad® patents. He also has experience representing patent owners in enforcement actions, such as an agricultural equipment manufacturer in patent infringement litigation and a jury trial. He is proficient in litigating before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

A notable aspect of Mr. Howe's practice is his experience in post-grant proceedings. He successfully represented TWi Pharmaceuticals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where multiple claims of Merck's Mavenclad® patents were invalidated as obvious, a decision later affirmed by the Federal Circuit. His firm highlights the use of Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) as a strategy in generic drug cases. He also secured a victory on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in A.L.M. Holding Co. v. Zydex Indus. Private Ltd..

Mr. Howe earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. cum laude in Biology from Kalamazoo College. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin, various U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.