Dr Salima Merani > Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP > Irvine, United States > Lawyer Profile

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP is well regarded for its expertise in patent licensing and transactions, drawing on the technical experience of attorneys, scientists and engineers to represent clients in a broad spectrum of practice areas. With a specialism licensing, the team is regularly called upon to both obtain and litigate patents but also to negotiate deals for patent rights. Jointly led in Orange Country by Salima Merani, an expert in portfolio management and Sabing Lee  , a patent procurement specialist. In San Diego, Kimberly Miller, is a key port of call for all IP-related matters spanning a variety of technical disciplines including chemistry, pharma and biotech. In Irvine, Terry Tullis, a key figure in property portfolio management and David Schmidt, a specialist patent prosecutor are further members of the team. Jason Gersting departed the firm in 2024.

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP‘s group is well-regarded for the breadth of its capabilities in complex patent matters, with biotech, life sciences, medical devices, and electrical engineering being key areas of specialism across the group. Irvine-based Salima Merani is well-placed to assist clients with patent prosecution, portfolio management, and transactional due diligence matters. Merani heads up the team alongside Sabing Lee (also based in Irvine), who advises medtech clients on the IP strategy aspects of complex transactions. Merani and Lee also co-chair the firm’s medical device group. Also in Irvine, Harnik Shukla has noteworthy abilities in procuring successfully litigated patents. In Seattle, Melanie Seelig has expertise in patent infringement, validity, and clearance matters. At the San Diego office, Jason Jardine is experienced in advising on the acquisition, protection, and enforcement of IP rights in both domestic and cross-border contexts.