Joe Drayton is a partner in the Litigation Department, co-head of the Patent law practice and a member of the Intellectual Property and Trials groups.
Joe is a first-chair trial lawyer with over two decades of experience representing some of the nation’s most prominent companies in high-stakes intellectual property (IP) and complex commercial litigation. He has successfully handled matters across a broad range of industries before state and federal courts, the International Trade Commission and arbitration tribunals including the American Arbitration Association. Joe’s practice spans all areas of IP law—patent, trade secrets, copyright, trademark, trade dress and false advertising—both domestically and internationally. He also advises clients on IP acquisition, transfer, protection and enforcement strategies.
Joe has been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in his field across the United States. In addition to his IP expertise, he has a strong track record resolving complex commercial disputes, including international supplier conflicts with significant business implications. A trusted advisor to corporate executives, Joe is known for his sound judgment and leadership.
Joe is a national leader in the legal community. He recently received the United States President’s Volunteer Service Award by President Joseph R. Biden for his leadership activities in the legal community. Joe also received the C. Francis Stradford Award—the National Bar Association’s highest honor—for his integrity, legal excellence and lasting contributions to the profession. He served as the 76th president of the National Bar Association, is a former vice president and Board chair of the New York City Bar Association and served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary as the 2nd Circuit and Federal Circuit Representative, a role that included Joe providing congressional testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee at the confirmation hearings for the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, J.D.
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University of Maryland at College Park, B.S.
(Electrical Engineering)
Admissions & Qualifications
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- New York
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, New York, Eastern District
- U.S. District Court, New York, Southern District
- U.S. District Court, New York, Western District
- U.S. District Court, Texas, Western District
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Maryland
Memberships
National Bar Association
American Bar Association
Federal Bar Council
New York State Bar Association
Maryland State Bar Association
New York City Bar Association
Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Awards & Recognition
Savoy Magazine, Most Influential Lawyers 2024
Super Lawyers Top Intellectual Property Lawyer 2015–2023
Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America 2022–2025
The Legal 500 United States: Healthcare: Life Sciences 2024
The Legal 500 United States: Media, Technology & Telecoms: Marketing and Advertising 2024
BTI Client Service Allstar
IAM Patent 1000
New York Law Journal: Distinguished Leader 2018
National Bar Association” Nation’s Best Advocate: 40 Lawyers Under 40
The New York City Bar Association: Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award (2014)
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow (2013)
Matters
Patents 鈥� High Tech
- Represent Fortune 100 leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator in a dispute before the Patent Trials & Appeal Board in connection with technologies aimed at performing the performance of data transmission systems.
- Represent a leading global sports and entertainment company in series of patent disputes and licensing opportunities related to video transmission systems and streaming.
- Represent leading medical device manufacturer at trial in connection with a licensing and patent infringement dispute related to spinal fusion technology in the District of Delaware.
- Represent a global provider of innovative medical technology solutions in a patent infringement suit over advance fiber optic pressure guidewire technology used in coronary and structural heart procedures in the District of Delaware.
- Represented and led to successful outcomes Fortune 10 technology company in a series of patent infringement suits related to video transmission and streaming technologies in the Eastern District of Texas and District of Delaware.
- Represented spinal fusion medical device manufacturer in a competitor patent litigation dispute at trial to a successful verdict against a Fortune 50 multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technologies corporation in the District of Delaware.
- Represented and led to a successful outcome a leading inventory management solution business in an international arbitration in connection a patent dispute.
- Represented Bumble in the successful resolution of multiple disputes related to patent, trademark and trade secrets dispute in the Western District of Texas.
- Represented Bloomberg in successful pre-trial dismissal of patent and trade secrets dispute in the Southern District of New York.
- Represented a cohort of leading technology companies in successful pre-trial dismissal of patent dispute in the Eastern District of Texas.
- Represented Motorola Mobility in successful resolution of patent infringement action at trial before the International Trade Commission.
- Represented a major semiconductor chip manufacturer in a patent infringement action at trial before the International Trade Commission where the Administrative Law Judge and the Commission found that the asserted patent was not infringed in favor of the client.
- Represented Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway, at trial in a patent infringement suit brought by Incomm concerning stored value card network systems. The jury returned a verdict favorable to Blackhawk Network, and the company was found not to infringe Incomm's asserted patents.
- Represented Pier 1 Imports in a patent infringement suit brought by Alexsam concerning Pier 1's gift card system. The jury returned a verdict finding that Pier 1 did not infringe either of Alexsam's two patents.
Trademarks, Copyrights and Advertising
- Represent leading financial technology company in connection with trademark counseling and disputes.
- Represented a leading manufacturer of blades and cutting tools for the home and health industry in a patent, trademark, and trade dress litigation against its major competitor.
- Represented a leading multinational pharmaceutical company in trademark, comparative advertising proceeding and false advertising proceedings.
- Represented a leading clothing brand conglomerate in connection with pre-litigation trademark, copyright, and trade dress issues.
- Represented a leading research institute in connection with pre-litigation copyright disputes.
*Some of the aforementioned matters handled at prior firms