Jennifer A. Trusso

Jennifer Trusso is a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group in the firm's Orange County office and a member of its Latin American team.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Trusso focuses on intellectual property litigation.  She has extensive experience in patent infringement litigation, including cases involving medical devices, pharmaceuticals ("Hatch-Waxman" cases), nutraceuticals, computer hardware and software, electrical and mechanical technologies, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.  Jennifer has also litigated trademark cases, most recently for clients in the food and nutritional products market.  In addition to intellectual property matters, she has handled a wide variety of matters in state and federal courts, including unfair competition (17200 claims), trade secret disputes, and general commercial litigation.  Jennifer has substantial trial experience and has briefed and argued before the Federal Circuit, 9th Circuit and California Court of Appeals.

Education

• J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA, 1998, cum laude, Order of the Coif
• B.A., San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 1995

Representative Matters

Represented medical device company in a patent infringement action involving spinal implants.  The case settled favorably.

Currently counseling dermatological pharmaceutical company on various intellectual property and unfair competition matters involving topical anesthetics.

Currently representing nutraceutical company in trademark infringement action involving nutritional supplements for joint pain relief. 

Prevailed on behalf of generic pharmaceutical company in a Hatch-Waxman Paragraph IV patent infringement case involving a low molecular weight heparin.  Won at trial and on appeal based on a finding that the patent was unenforceable due to inequitable conduct. 

Represented plaintiff nutraceutical company in a patent infringement action against a competitor involving nutritional supplements for joint pain.  The case settled favorably. 

Represented medical device manufacturer in a patent infringement action involving surgical robots.  The case settled favorably after obtaining summary judgment in favor of client.

Represented wireless technology company in misappropriation of trade secrets dispute involving wireless location technology.  The competitor had illegally filed a patent application on technology developed by the client.  The case settled favorably, which included competitor assigning the patent application and additional technology to the client. 

Represented large semiconductor company in business, licensing and general intellectual property disputes. 

Represented patent owner in computer-aided manufacturing patent infringement litigation.  Case settled favorably after Court construed claims in accordance with patent owner's proposed constructions.

Represented client in patent cross-actions involving remote computer access technology.  The case settled favorably.

Represented public wireless telecommunications infrastructure company in business and general intellectual property disputes.  Full victory after contested arbitration. 

Represented sunglass company in patent infringement action involving lens shape and manufacturing technology.  The case settled after several favorable rulings for our client.

Represented sunglass company in a patent infringement action involving polarized polyurethane-based lenses.  The case settled favorably.  

Represented sunglass company in patent infringement litigation involving Bluetooth technology in sunglass frames.  The case is currently on appeal.

Prevailed on behalf of a maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in a patent infringement case involving pattern recognition and alignment systems.  Won summary judgment holding the patent invalid based on anticipation and obviousness.  Affirmed by the Federal Circuit.

Represented large manufacturing company in patent infringement litigation involving automotive fluid replacement devices.  

Represented defendant in a trademark infringement case involving ink jet refill cartridges.  The court granted summary judgment of noninfringement.

Honors

• Recipient of Sheppard Mullin's 2010 ProBono Attorney of the Year Award
• Faculty Academic Honors Scholarship
• AmJur Bancroft Whitney Award

Memberships

• State Bar of California (Member)
• Orange County Bar Association (Member)
• Federal Bar Association, Orange County Division (Board of Directors)
• Order of the Coif
• National Latina Business Women Association of Orange County (Member)
• Hispanic National Bar Association (Member)
• Diversity and Inclusion Committee of Sheppard Mullin (Member)
• Diversity and Inclusion Attorney Network (DIAN) of Sheppard Mullin (Member and Mentor)
• Women's Lawyers Group of Sheppard Mullin (OC Leader)
• Women Attorneys Leadership Council (Member)
• Charter 100 (Member)

Articles

• "District Court Holds Gene Sequences Not Patentable Subject Matter," Sheppard Mullin Life Sciences Law Blog and Sheppard Mullin Intellectual Property Law Blog, May 25, 2010
• Sheppard Mullin Hires Local Patent Lawyers, Orange County Business Journal, July 14, 2008  

Speeches

• Panelist, Ernst & Young Holiday Professional Women's Network Event, December 11, 2008