Five intellectual property attorneys have joined Husch Blackwell’s St. Louis office. Rudy Telscher, Kara Fussner, Steven Holtshouser and David Nester will join Husch Blackwell as partners, and Daisy Manning will join as an associate. They will practice in the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation group and focus on patent litigation and other intellectual property disputes. All five previously practiced with Harness Dickey, a leading intellectual property law firm.
“We are very pleased to be joined by this outstanding group of intellectual property trial lawyers,” said Joe Orlet, leader of Husch Blackwell’s Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation group. “Their skills and experience in high-stakes intellectual property litigation will be a great asset for our technology and manufacturing clients.”
Telscher is a nationally recognized patent litigator. He handles patent litigation throughout the country, including in notable jurisdictions like the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the Central and Northern Districts of California. His litigation teams have not lost a trial or case-dispositive motion in more than a decade. Notable achievements include a 9-0 victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness. Telscher handled oral argument, and his team significantly altered the standard for awarding attorneys’ fees under 35 USC § 285. Managing Intellectual Property recognized the team’s work on Octane as its “2015 Case of the Year.” Telscher also served as lead counsel in CDM Fantasy Sports v. Major League Baseball, in which his team made new law in turning back Major League Baseball's attempt to monopolize the $1.5 billion dollar per year fantasy sports industry. The case turned on the balance between First Amendment and rights of publicity.
Telscher has been the recipient of many IP litigation awards, including the “IP Star” recognition from Managing Intellectual Property (2014-16), Law360 MVP Award, Missouri Lawyers Weekly “Influential Appellate Advocate,” and listings in Best Lawyers in America for Intellectual Property Litigation (2012-2017).
“I am truly excited to join Husch Blackwell,” said Rudy Telscher. “The firm has earned a reputation for delivering exceptional results and great value for clients. In addition to having a tremendous litigation platform, the firm’s industry focus provides the right mix of litigation, regulatory and transactional skills needed to address our clients’ complex challenges.”
Biographical Summaries
Rudy Telscher is a nationally-recognized intellectual property trial lawyer who has 25 years of experience litigating disputes in district and appellate courts throughout the United States, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Telscher has successfully tried to verdict cases in the areas of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, internet rights, rights of publicity, First Amendment and antitrust. Telscher and his litigation teams have not lost a trial, arbitration or other case-dispositive motion in more than a decade. During this same period and for each case not settled following decision, Telscher and his team have been affirmed on appeal. He is also a certified mediator and has substantial experience mediating and arbitrating IP disputes. Prior to law school, he worked as an engineer for a leading defense contractor, applying his skills in the areas of avionics systems engineering and software development. He holds a J.D., with high distinction, from the University of Iowa (1990) and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, with honors, from the University of Missouri (1987).
Kara Fussner has maintained an active intellectual property and commercial litigation practice for nearly two decades, litigating commercially significant cases across multiple industries and technologies. Fussner works directly with in-house counsel, engineers and business professionals alike to enforce IP assets – including patents, copyrights and trademarks – and defend accused companies. She is skilled at distilling complicated technologies, deciphering patent legalese and advocating legal positions that resonate with presiding judges, mediators and administrative law judges. Fussner received her J.D. in 1998, magna cum laude, from Boston University and her B.A. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995).
Steven Holtshouser has over 30 years of federal jury trial and appellate experience, having tried more than 40 complex federal jury trials to successful verdicts and has briefed and argued more than 35 appeals. Holtshouser has a perfect record of success in first-chair jury trials and appeals. His practice is focused in the area of patent and trademark litigation as well as white collar investigations and defense. In connection with defensive patent litigation, to date none of his clients has paid any money to an opponent and many cases have been favorably resolved early and efficiently. Holtshouser is a former Supervisory Asst. U.S. Attorney. As an AUSA he prosecuted every variety of federal offense, specializing in the most complex and challenging cases, and as a manager he oversaw a Cyber Crimes Unit and an Anti-Terrorism Task Force, among others. He began his legal career as a Law Clerk to U.S. District Chief Judge John F. Nangle, Eastern District of Missouri (E.D.Mo.). He holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Washington University School of Law (1983), where he has served as an adjunct professor for many years, and a B.A. in Political Science from St. Louis University (1980).
David Nester has defended large and small companies through all stages of the dispute resolution and litigation process for nearly three decades. Nester has tried over 70 cases to jury verdict, argued more than 25 appeals in State and Federal Courts, and mediated hundreds of cases to conclusion. Notably, he has obtained over 15 jury verdicts on behalf of defendants where his clients did not have to pay any damages after trial and appeal. He works with his clients to identify and protect their intellectual property assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade dress and trade secrets, as well as prosecutes and defends unfair completion claims. Nester holds a J.D. from Southern Illinois University (1985) and a B.A. from Southern Methodist University (1982).
Daisy Manning focuses on intellectual property litigation in the areas of patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights. Her experience includes state and federal court litigation throughout the United States and at both the trial and appellate levels, including trial practice and the preparation of pleadings, briefs, motions and discovery. Manning is also involved in negotiating and drafting various corporate, entertainment and intellectual property-related agreements. Manning holds a J.D. from Washington University (2009) and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin (2002).