Melissa A. Nowak

Melissa Nowak focuses her practice on developing trademark and patent portfolios to secure protection for her clients' intellectual property. Melissa has experience in all aspects of trademark practice including worldwide trademark search and clearance, preparation and prosecution of trademark applications, and trademark enforcement and defense. Melissa also counsels clients in the areas of copyright protection and infringement. She has collaborated with clients in many different industries including media and entertainment, software, aviation and aerospace, building and construction, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, dietary supplements, medical devices, transportation, higher education, and non-profits, and has provided valuable in-house attorney services for trademark clients. In addition, Melissa routinely manages appeals, cancellations, and oppositions before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Melissa works with life science and biotechnology companies, universities, and non-profit research organizations to successfully obtain patent protection using practical and cost-efficient approaches. Melissa's areas of technical expertise include molecular biology, immunology, genetics, and neurosciences. Representative client technologies include applications relating to kinase inhibitors, fluorophore-protein conjugates, pH monitoring systems, microfluidic devices, DNA isolation and purification, high throughput drug screening, bacterial inhibitors, peptides, nanoparticles, antibiotic compounds, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, transcription modules, somatic embryogenesis, cellulose fibers, and dietary and nutritional supplements.

Prior to entering law school, Melissa's graduate research in comparative immunology focused on the genetic diversity of antibody light chains in monotremes. Melissa also worked as a research assistant in the field of neurosciences, where her research focused on neuronal-specific RNA binding proteins and neuronal plasticity. The results of her research have been published in prominent scientific journals.

Melissa is the chair of the firm's trademark practice group. She is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and currently serves on the Publications Committee. Melissa is recognized in Chambers USA, World Trademark Review's WTR 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, Intellectual Asset Management's IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, as well as their premier global guide, IAM Global Leaders: Interviews with the Pinnacle of the Patent Law Profession, and in Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars, and is named to the Washington list of The Best Lawyers in America. Melissa is proficient in French. In her spare time, Melissa is an instructor for The Mountaineers' Seattle Basic Alpine Climbing Course.