Overview
Kourtney Mueller Merrill is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. She successfully represents leading technology companies in some of their most important and challenging intellectual property matters.
Areas of Practice
Kourtney focuses on intellectual property (IP) strategy and litigation, including patent litigation, inter partes review proceedings, and complex commercial litigation involving IP issues. She excels at early and creative dispute resolution.
Kourtney litigates IP disputes around the country, including before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and a number of federal district courts and state courts. She is experienced in all phases of litigation and works with clients in a breadth of technical fields including semiconductors, software, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. In addition to Kourtney’s extensive patent experience, she advises clients on design patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and unfair competition.
Kourtney is also a volunteer lawyer for the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center domestic violence guardian ad litem program for children affected by temporary protective order proceedings in the Denver County Court.
Honors
Honors
Denver's Top Lawyers, 5280, 2024-2025
Litigation - Intellectual Property; Patent Law, The Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025
Selected to Colorado General Counsel Group Advisor Program, 2018-2020
Listed in Intellectual Asset Management Patent 1000, 2022-2025
"Colorado Rising Stars," Intellectual Property, Super Lawyers, 2018-2020
Insights
Media Mentions
Speaking Engagements
- "23rd Annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property & Technology Law Institute," May 29, 2025
- "20th Annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property & Technology Law Conference," June 2, 2022
- "2019 National Association of Women Lawyers Denver Conference," April 30, 2019
Practices
Industries
Education
J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2005, with honors, Order of the Coif
B.S., Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2002, with highest distinction
Admissions
- Not admitted in District of Columbia; supervised by partners of the firm admitted in the District of Columbia.
- Colorado
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas