Justin E. Pierce
Justin handles a variety of matters involving patent litigation, trademark and brand protection, anti-counterfeiting initiatives, copyright, design rights, trade secrets, and licensing. His practice focuses on advising companies on how best to harness the advantages of artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies in light of current laws and regulations.
Justin’s practice includes:
- Advising on product development and risk assessments on behalf of technology developers and other companies, including with respect to intellectual property, data rights, safety, integrity, consumer protection, and other AI-related legal, regulatory, and reputational considerations
- Internal reviews of AI practices for boards and senior legal leadership to benchmark programs and identify AI best practices in light of emerging regulatory expectations and industry practices
- Investment M&A and due diligence in connection with corporate transactions, investments, and market opportunities driven by AI, emerging technologies, and intellectual property
- Navigation of complex issues such as IP and data ownership regarding AI models and data licensing, with a focus on understanding the specific rights and restrictions associated with the data used to train models, ensuring compliance with relevant privacy laws, and negotiating clear terms regarding use, distribution, and potential liability within licensing agreements
- Strategic guidance on U.S. and international AI governance, including with respect to federal, state, and international regulations and legislation
- Developing and implementing worldwide brand protection strategies for companies around the world. Justin works with clients to secure their supply chain, review their business model, and devise creative solutions to protect their brand, content, and reputation internationally
Prior to joining Venable, Justin served as in-house counsel to a major multinational corporation for several years. In this role, Justin led a strategic global initiative that enhanced company intellectual property enforcement in key markets around the world. This experience gave him substantial knowledge of the business and strategy issues that challenge executives and their in-house legal teams.
Justin is also an inventor who currently holds a patent and a number of published applications dealing with mobile applications, augmented and virtual reality, gaming, and anti-counterfeiting technology. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, teaching the course Management of Intellectual Property Strategy.
Before law school, Justin served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of captain.
Related Practices
- Advertising and Marketing Litigation
- Brand and Content Protection
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Trademark Prosecution and Brand Management
- International Trade
- Legislative and Government Affairs
- Trademark Litigation
- Copyrights and Licensing
- Domain Names and Cyber Protection
- Patent Litigation
- Intellectual Property
- International
Experience
Government Experience
- Captain, United States Army
Representative Matters
- Managed numerous intellectual property litigation matters on behalf of a major multinational mobile device manufacturer, including management of §337 patent litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) and intellectual property litigation in various U.S. federal district courts
- Successfully represented the defendants in a patent lawsuit involving address handling within mobile devices (Arendi S.A.R.L. v. Sony Mobile Communications, et al.)
- Successfully represented the defendant in a patent lawsuit involving encryption and user authentication technologies in computers and mobile devices (MAZ Encryption Technologies, LLC v. BlackBerry Corp.)
- Represented a third party in a patent lawsuit involving a method of connecting computers securely over a wireless network (In re Certain Devices with Secure Communication Capabilities, Components Thereof, and Products Containing the Same); ITC Investigation No. 337-TA-818
- Represented one of the defendants in a patent lawsuit involving form-based operating systems used in Internet-connected computing and mobile devices (Cyberfone v. Cellco, et al.)
- Represented a major defense contractor and defended against an infringement action brought in the Court of Federal Claims, involving a patent related to the use of night vision goggles in conjunction with full-color cockpit displays (Honeywell Int’l Inc. v. U.S.); 70 Fed. Cl. 424 (2006)
- Represented a major pharmaceutical company and established patent infringement by a generic drug company in a multi-month patent trial involving a multi-billion-dollar anti-infective agent. 2004 WL 2973831 (N.D. W.Va.)
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. George Washington University Law School 2000
- B.S. United States Military Academy at West Point 1992
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association
- Member, International Trademark Association
- Adjunct professor, Georgetown University Law Center, Management of Intellectual Property Strategy
Recognition
- IAM Strategy 300, 2023 – 2024
- World Trademark Review
- WTR 1000, Enforcement and Litigation, 2015 – 2023
- WTR 1000, Prosecution and Strategy, 2013 – 2023
- Legal 500
- Intellectual Property – Patents: Litigation (full coverage), 2019 – 2024
- Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars, 2022 – 2023
- Lawyers of Color, Law Firm Leaders, 2022
- Super Lawyers, 2023