Skip to Main Content
Jennifer E. Hoekel

Jennifer E. Hoekel

Partner

“Jennifer is very good at explaining litigation issues in an easy-to-understand manner.”

Chambers USA 2024

Overview

Jennifer is a highly regarded IP litigator who excels at breaking down complex concepts into persuasive legal arguments.

A seasoned litigator, Jennifer represents Fortune 500 companies and emerging innovators in a broad spectrum of intellectual property disputes. With a proven track record of success, she has served as lead trial counsel in high-stakes cases across the country, advocating for both plaintiffs and defendants in federal courts, as well as before the USPTO and ITC. Jennifer is known for her ability to seamlessly step into cases at critical moments and is often brought in at the eleventh hour to help try complex matters.

Over the last four years, Jennifer has tried four International Trade Commission (ITC) cases, in addition to several jury trials. Her practice spans all facets of intellectual property, including:

  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Copyrights
  • Trade secrets
  • False advertising

Jennifer’s extensive experience also includes arguing appeals before the Federal Circuit, navigating inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and managing oppositions and cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Known for her strategic thinking and courtroom presence, Jennifer thrives in high-pressure environments and is committed to delivering results for clients, whether they are industry leaders or emerging disruptors.

“Jennifer is very good at explaining litigation issues in an easy-to-understand manner.”

Chambers USA 2024

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers In America®
    • Advertising Law, 2024 and 2025
    • Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2014-2025
    • Litigation – Patent, 2014-2025
    • Best Lawyers® Litigation – Intellectual Property "Lawyer of the Year," 2015
  • Chambers USA
    • Intellectual Property, 2022-2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Intellectual property - Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission), Recommended attorney, 2023 and 2024
  • Managing Intellectual Property IP STARS, Patent star, 2022-2024
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property Litigation, 2010-2023
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Business Edition, 2011-present
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women, 2011-present
  • Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Up & Coming Lawyer, 2010
  • St. Louis Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2008
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent

Education

  • J.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
    • Washington University Law Quarterly, Articles Editor
  • B.S., Truman State University
    • Biology
    • Dean's List
    • Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society
    • Full Tuition Presidential Scholarship
    • Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship

Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Illinois
  • Nevada
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • The Missouri Bar
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Federal Practice Committee, Eastern District of Missouri​
  • ITC Trial Lawyers Association
  • Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  • Theodore McMillian Inn of Court, Master Member, St. Louis Chapter of the American Inns of Court

Clerkship

  • The Hon. Ann Covington, Supreme Court of Missouri
Experience
  • Won ITC trial for complainant related to biotechnological invention.
  • Won ITC trial for respondent resulting in findings of non-infringement, unenforceability and lack of domestic industry,
  • Successfully represented several Fortune 100 companies as patent infringement plaintiffs.
  • Secured summary judgment for one of nation's largest nonprofit hospitals in trademark infringement suit in federal court.
  • Defended international gaming client in copyright infringement lawsuit against competitor in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.
  • Successfully petitioned Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) at U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on behalf of feminine hygiene product client to cancel competitor's trademark and sustained its opposition to three other trademark filings filed by same competitor.
  • Successfully opposed trademark application for Fortune 500 multinational consumer products company involving competitor's mark before TTAB.
  • Successfully opposed trademark registration for multinational personal care company regarding competing mark through trial and decision before TTAB.
  • Successfully resolved trademark lawsuit in favor of large health care conglomerate.
  • Obtained summary judgment and favorable resolution for major manufacturer, regarding six patents in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.
  • Won multimillion-dollar jury verdict of patent infringement for trace detection equipment in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia.
  • Invalidated landscaping patent for global manufacturer after jury trial in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.
  • Earned a high-profile victory for wireless company before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), knocking out all disputed patent claims (175 in total) across eight related IPR petitions. The Board also reversed its previous stance on several patentability issues at stake in the IPRs, instead finding in the Final Written Decisions that the full record supported the client's arguments.
  • Defended bank in a trademark dispute in the United States District Court of Colorado and sought naming rights in front of the Colorado Banking Board. Handled a preliminary injunction hearing and several hearings in front of the Colorado Banking Board. Resulted in a negotiated resolution.
  • Prevailed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of Sotera Wireless as it successfully invalidated eight of a competitor's patents in final, non-appealable judgments. Husch Blackwell had previously knocked out all disputed patent claims—175 in total—across eight related inter partes review (IPR) petitions before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, resulting in a precedential PTAB decision that provides a strategy for petitioners to avoid discretionary denial of IPR under the Fintiv factors. (Not all decisions by PTAB are marked precedential, but the Board found Husch Blackwell's arguments and methods so useful that it marked this decision precedential to help future IPR parties in navigating PTAB procedure. Read more here.)
  • Representing group of companies defending patent infringement claims relating to safety circuitry, USB technology, and battery management systems for lithium-ion battery packs in portable power supplies. Case ongoing before the United States International Trade Commission.
  • Achieved major victory at the U.S. International Trade Commission, with the panel affirming a decision of the presiding administrative law judge (ALJ), which found that client ADC Solutions Auto, LLC (d/b/a Type S) did not violate Section 337 of the Tariff Act in relation to imported portable battery jump starters.
  • Won ITC case for respondent with finding of non-infringement.
  • Prevailed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of Kansas-based client Ventria Bioscience (d/b/a InVitria and ExpressTec), when a three-judge panel affirmed a U.S. International Trade Commission's 2022 decision that found Wuhan Healthgen Biotechnology Corp. and its distributors in violation of U.S. trade law. The Federal Circuit affirmed both the finding of infringement and Ventria's satisfaction of the ITC's "domestic industry" requirement.
Outside the Office

Jennifer dabbles at farming.

She and her three kids run what they call the “farm-ette,” host to donkeys, horses and chickens. She also enjoys traveling: Mexico and Costa Rica are favorite destinations.

Community Leadership
  • Stray Rescue
  • Webster Groves School District Foundation, Past Vice President
  • Webster Child Care Center, Past Board of Directors; Chair, Annual Auction