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William L. Mentlik
After a career as an IP trial and appellate practitioner spanning five decades, William “Bill” Mentlik now focuses his practice on mediating complex IP disputes. Most notably, Bill has successfully mediated disputes involving domestic and international IP litigation and patent portfolio licensing, including SEP/FRAND disputes between large international technology companies.
Foretelling his success as a mediator, at the height of his career as a litigator, Bill was recognized in “BUSINESS NEWS NEW JERSEY” (now NJBIZ) as one of New Jersey’s top lawyer dealmakers. Although a battle-tested litigator, Bill’s priority is always to be the voice of reason, “get beyond everyone’s egos,” and find the most sensible outcome for any dispute. The perspective Bill brings to the cases he mediates is that of an IP litigator and businessman, whose charge is to find common ground between the parties, not to decide the case between them. A particular source of pride for Bill is the role he developed as a valued, long‑time member of the NJ Federal Bar, which prides itself on collegiality. He was the first lawyer from a dedicated IP boutique appointed to the Lawyers Advisory Committee to the Federal District Court in New Jersey, and he served on the subcommittee that drafted New Jersey’s local patent rules, which govern patent litigation in the district, and has served as a model for local patent rules in other district courts throughout the country.
Bill’s skills as a mediator also derives from his experience as an IP appellate practitioner, which required him to combine a thorough knowledge of the case record with a proven penchant for thinking on his feet. Early in his career, Bill successfully argued an appeal on behalf of laser pioneer Gordon Gould, which cleared the way for the issuance and vindication of four broad patents arising out of a 1959 patent application, certain of which dominated significant areas of basic laser technology into the 21st Century. Since that time, he has argued and/or briefed more than 30 appeals in numerous U.S. Courts of Appeal, most notably, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
- Hatch-Waxman Disputes
- IP LITIGATION, Domestic and International
- SEP/FRAND disputes in the context of patent portfolio licensing and infringement litigation
PRIOR EXPERIENCE:
- Patent Examiner, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 1969‑1973
- Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Patent Section, 1973‑1975
- Founder, Managing Partner, now Of Counsel at Lerner David llp (previously, Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik, llp)
EDUCATION:
- University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Chemical Engineering)
- George Washington University, National Law Center (J.D. with honors; Order of the Coif)
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- New York
- New Jersey
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Multiple Federal District Courts and Courts of Appeal
- S. Supreme Court
RECOGNITIONS AND AFFILIATIONS
- Ranked as a “Band 1” Attorney by Chambers USA Directory as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers” in the field of intellectual property litigation
- Listed for more than 25 consecutive years as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” by Woodward/White
- Appointed by then‑Chief Judge Garrett Brown to the Lawyers’ Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Served as a member of the committee that promulgated New Jersey’s local patent rules
- Recognized in “Guide to the World’s Leading Patent Law Practitioners,” published by Legal Media Group
- Honored as a “2018 NJBIZ Icon,” being recognized as a New Jersey business leader over the age of 60 for his notable success and demonstration of strong leadership within and outside of his chosen field of IP
- Master (since its inception in 1992—now, Master Emeritus), John C. Lifland American Inn of Court for Intellectual Property Law
- Recognized yearly since 2006 on the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers