Overview Experience Case Studies Insights Events News Outside the Office Community Leadership

Stephen R. Howe

Partner

Milwaukee
phone: 414.978.5393
fax: 414.223.5000

email: [email protected]

Overview Experience Case Studies

Insights Events News

Outside the Office Community Leadership

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Overview

Steve is an intellectual property attorney with a passion for defending new technology, ideas, and products.

Steve focuses his practice on litigating intellectual property disputes, especially patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation lawsuits. He has significant experience representing pharmaceutical companies in Hatch-Waxman Act matters, representing patent holders at the International Trade Commission, and defending employees from unfair accusations of trade secret misappropriation.

Crafting enforcement, defense, and litigation strategies, Steve works closely with clients. When trial is inevitable, he develops creative arguments and represents clients in all stages of litigation, from pre-suit assessment and opinion stage, through discovery, expert discovery, trial, and appeal.

Industries

Manufacturing

Technology

Transportation

Services

Generic Drug / ANDA Litigation

Intellectual Property Litigation

Section 337

Trade Secrets & Business Information Protection

Education

J.D., University of Michigan Law School
- cum laude
B.A., Kalamazoo College
- cum laude
- Biology

Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

Professional Memberships and Certifications

American Bar Association
State Bar of Wisconsin

Languages

Spanish, proficient

Featured Experience

A Quick Victory

When a Chinese manufacturer’s booth was raided by U.S. Marshals at the largest consumer electronics show in the country, Steve’s legal team leapt into action. They quickly learned that a competitor had secretly won a temporary restraining order against the Chinese manufacturer, claiming patent infringement in an effort to keep their products out of the U.S. market. Steve’s team fought the preliminary injunction and accompanying lawsuit so thoroughly that the plaintiff withdrew their complaint within a month and chose not to pursue the case any further. The client was free to introduce their products into the U.S. and avoided a costly permanent injunction.

Additional Experience

Represented agricultural equipment manufacturer and patent owner in patent infringement litigation and jury trial involving four patents on farm implement technology.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation and trial relating to injectable antifungal medication.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation and trial relating to medication for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation relating to blood pressure medication.
Represented telecommunications company in litigation involving claims of patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation.
Represented pharmaceutical company in litigation involving claims of trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract and business torts.
Represented agricultural equipment manufacturer in patent infringement litigation and appeal involving patents relating to commercial lawn care technology.
Represented electronics and personal mobility device manufacturer in patent infringement litigation involving utility and design patents on self-balancing one-wheeled skateboard technology.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation relating to zoledronic acid drug products.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation relating to abuse-resistant OxyContin formulations.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation relating to iron chelation therapy products.
Represented pharmaceutical manufacturer in patent infringement litigation relating to oral chemotherapy product.
Represented electronics manufacturer in competitive landscape analysis for licensing negotiations.
Prevailed before the Federal Circuit on behalf of international motor manufacturer in patent case involving complex applications of Illinois contract law to intellectual property licensing agreements.
Achieved victory in patent dispute for loan origination platform developer client, utilizing invalidity defense based on Supreme Court's Alice doctrine
Prevailed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on behalf of Kansas-based client Ventria Bioscience (d/b/a InVitria and ExpressTec), when a three-judge panel affirmed a U.S. International Trade Commission's 2022 decision that found Wuhan Healthgen Biotechnology Corp. and its distributors in violation of U.S. trade law. The Federal Circuit affirmed both the finding of infringement and Ventria's satisfaction of the ITC's "domestic industry" requirement.

News Releases | February 10, 2025

Husch Blackwell Earns Appellate Win for Ventria Bioscience at the Federal Circuit

Media Mentions | May 22, 2024

Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q1 (log-in required)

Media Mentions | October 03, 2023

Law360 Pulse: Husch Blackwell's 19-Atty Partner Class Over Half Women (log-in required)

News Releases | October 02, 2023

Husch Blackwell Elevates 18 as Part of 2024 New Partner Class

News Releases | September 15, 2022

Husch Blackwell Leads Ventria Bioscience to Victory at the U.S. International Trade Commission

Media Mentions | September 13, 2022

Law360: ITC Blocks Chinese Biotech Imports In Win For Ventria (log-in required)

Media Mentions | September 13, 2022

Bloomberg Law: Ventria Wins ITC Ban on Chinese Rival's Engineered-Rice Imports (log-in required)

Media Mentions | September 13, 2022

International Trade Today: ITC Issues Exclusion Order on Plant-Derived Recombinant Human Serum Albumins (log-in required)

News Releases | October 15, 2021

Husch Blackwell Scores Victory for Sigmapharm in Hatch-Waxman Litigation

Husch Blackwell successfully defended Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC in connection with its application for approval of a generic version of the antidepressant vortioxetine.

Outside the Office

Steve loves outdoor adventures.

Steve especially enjoys skiing, boating, biking and kite surfing. He considers himself fortunate to live in a state with ample water access, but usually spends his vacations in ski destinations – a favorite is Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Community Leadership

Steve places a high priority on pro bono work.

Steve has devoted hundreds of pro bono hours over the course of his career. He has successfully obtained asylum for multiple clients seeking to avoid removal to dangerous countries, and has litigated multiple Section 1983 cases to defend the constitutional rights of inmates.