GARY HECKER is one of the nation’s leading intellectual property lawyers. He is recognized for his diverse experience in all aspects of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, rights of publicity, entertainment, Internet and computer law, unfair competition, and trade secrets.
Mr. Hecker’s practice includes complex intellectual property litigation and prosecution, C-suite level IP counseling, and intellectual property transactions and licensing. Mr. Hecker serves as both plaintiff and defense litigation counsel in legal actions in U.S. Federal District Courts, state court, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (including Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post Grant Review (PGR), and Patent Reexamination proceedings) and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Mr. Hecker’s experience and expertise also include innumerable patent applications, patent evaluations, “prior art” investigations, patent due diligence, and patent reexamination proceedings. He has also developed his own proprietary approach and materials for establishing and implementing corporate patent and trademark programs for both established and emerging companies.
Mr. Hecker has been involved in protecting intellectual property for his clients since the early days of the PC. He has represented many of the world’s leading companies in intellectual property matters. He has designed and implemented intellectual property and patent programs for Fortune 1000 companies, Silicon Valley pioneers, and new venture startups. He has represented the companies of industry luminaries including Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sheldon Adelson, Ray Noorda, Dan Bricklin, Ed Catmull, Mark Burnett, and Maria Shriver. He has helped businesses large and small to develop and exploit their valuable intellectual property.
Mr. Hecker holds a J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and is a member of the San Diego Law Review. He is the author of the Comment entitled “Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion on the High Seas: Toward an International Regulatory Regime,” published in the San Diego Law Review, Vol. 18:2, 1981. He also served as a Judicial Intern to Justice Work of the California Court of Appeals, 4th District.
Mr. Hecker also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Rhode Island and is a member of the Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, Pi Tau Sigma.
Mr. Hecker testified twice on behalf of Apple Computer, Inc. before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Chairman John Dingell (D. Michigan) presiding, on unfair foreign trade practices involving counterfeit computer hardware and software. He also served as an informal technical advisor to the House Subcommittee in their Investigation on Unfair Foreign Trade Practices.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Hecker was a Power Systems Engineer at the architectural engineering consulting firm Stone and Webster Engineering Corp. While at Stone & Webster, Gary designed thermodynamic, fluid, and heat transfer systems for large scale power plants and energy complexes, including turbines, compressors, boilers, heat exchangers, and laminar and compressible flow steam systems.
Prior to founding the firm in 1988, Mr. Hecker was a partner at the intellectual property law firm of Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor and Zafman.
