Joel Merkin serves as a Principal at GLS and is responsible for due diligence and monitoring of patent investments.
Prior to joining GLS, Joel was a partner in the intellectual property litigation group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, where he practiced for over a decade. At Kirkland & Ellis, Joel’s practice focused on complex patent litigation before federal district courts, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the Federal Circuit.
Joel is a registered patent attorney and uses his patent litigation experience and engineering background to evaluate patent opportunities, particularly in the high-tech space. Joel’s patent experience includes working with a wide range of technologies, including computer hardware and software, communication systems, consumer electronics, and medical devices. He has significant experience in all phases of patent litigation, including practicing in many of the nation’s most popular patent venues, and arguing and obtaining a complete appellate victory before the Federal Circuit. Joel also represented both patent owners and petitioners in over 75 PTAB proceedings, including arguing over a dozen cases before the PTAB.
Joel holds a J.D. and B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois.
