Gerald L. Smith
Gerald L. Smith, a principal, has been engaged in the practice of patent law as an attorney since receipt of his law degree from The University of Maryland in 1964. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Science degrees from The Ohio State University having graduated (Tau Beta Pi) from the University in 1957 with both degrees. While attending law school at the University of Maryland and thereafter he was employed by the Patent Legal Department of the Aerospace Division of Martin-Marietta Corporation. Jerry entered private practice for about two years, gaining experience in both civil and criminal trial matters. He then joined the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, remaining as a Senior Patent Attorney for about eight years. The last two years at Polaroid he provided personal representation of the late Dr. E.H. Land, the founder of Polaroid and an internationally recognized inventor.
Mr. Smith returned to private practice in intellectual property law, moving to Columbus during 1976. The present firm of Mueller Smith was formed in 1980. Mr. Smith has been active in local Bar Associations in the Central Ohio region, having been President of the Columbus Intellectual Property Law Association and being a founding organizer of the successful Columbus Computer Law Institute.
Jerry Smith is admitted to the practice of law in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio, and is registered to practice before the Canadian Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
John J. Okuley, Ph.D.
John J. Okuley first joined the firm as a clerk in 2001, and has been a principal, since 2009. John’s practice involves both patent application prosecution and portfolio management and also leading the firm’s litigation practice. With his broad background in academia and industry, John has counseled clients in the drafting and prosecution of patents covering technologies ranging from biotechnology, cancer treatment, medical devices, electrosurgery, motors, modular construction components, to machine tools, luggage and sporting goods. A substantial part of John’s practice involves protecting intellectual property rights in new business methods. John has been instrumental in assisting small and large companies in developing their intellectual property portfolios.
As part of the firm's litigation practice, Dr. Okuley has served on the litigation team of several patent infringement suits, representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants as Trial Counsel, and Counsel. The patented products in dispute have ranged from Nutraceuticals, to business methods, weightlifting equipment and consumer goods. As part of his representation of clients, John has also served as a technical advisor to cooperating outside law firms, examined the technical staff and experts of counter parties, and served as local counsel.
Dr. Okuley has also litigated several trademark infringement disputes for the firm’s clients as Trial Counsel for both Plaintiffs and Defendants, served as counsel in false advertising litigation between industry leaders in the home appliance industry, and served as Trial Counsel in a theft of trade secrets action involving defecting employees. John has extensively participated in a number of successfully negotiated or mediated settlements limiting the litigation costs relative to damages recovery or damages exposure to the firm’s clients.
Prior to entering the practice of law, John worked as a scientist and teacher. He has a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics (1991), a Juris Doctor degree (with honors, 2003), and a Bachelor of Science (1984, in Agronomy, with distinction) from the Ohio State University. Dr. Okuley was a college professor for six years, teaching cell biology, plant physiology, genetics, and biotechnology. He also was a postdoctoral researcher at Washington State University and the USDA Forest Service, where his research included work with cell signaling, biochemistry, and transgenics. He is the author of more than a dozen publications and has been listed as an inventor on several patent applications and patents. While at Ohio State's Moritz College of Law, Dr. Okuley was an Associate Editor of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution and published a paper, Resolution of Inventorship Disputes: Avoiding Litigation Through Early Evaluation. John has a long association with the Boy Scouts of America, currently serving as a troop leader for a local troop. He and his wife have worked for several years with their church’s St. Vincent DePaul Society.
John is admitted to practice law in Ohio and in the federal courts for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Northern District of Ohio, along with pro hac vice admissions in a number of other federal courts. John is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Matthew J. Schonauer
Matthew Schonauer earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Butler University and a Bachelor in Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 2007. While completing his undergraduate degrees, Matt gained engineering and technical experience while working in the printed circuit board, quality control, network consulting, software development, and mechanical product design industries. He continues to utilize his software experience by designing and hosting websites for small businesses, organizations, and friends. Matt is actively involved and has a great interest in the online technology sector and its intersection with intellectual property law, such as domain name disputes, end user license agreements, internet services contracts (e.g., hosting and design), the DMCA and online copyright infringement issues, and many others.
During his undergraduate tenure, Matt became interested in intellectual property law and decided to attend law school. He received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2010. While in law school, Matt served on the privacy and technology journal I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society, serving on the Editorial Board during the 2009-2010 academic year.
Matt is also very interested in the law and its interaction with the digital generation, and has authored two articles reflecting this passion: Let the Babies Dance: Strengthening Fair Use and Stifling Abuse in DMCA Notice and Takedown Procedures, 7 ISJLP 135 (2011), and Lamebook Pokes Facebook, published in the 2011 Volume, Spring Issue of the Ohio State Bar Association's Intellectual Property Section Newsletter. Matt has also written an article concerning trademark counseling: Specimen Specificity: In re Anpath Group, Inc., which is being published in the 2011 Volume, Summer Issue of the Ohio State Bar Association's Intellectual Property Section Newsletter.
Matt has been with the firm since May 2009, when he joined the staff as a law clerk during his second summer of law school, and now practices law as an associate attorney. Matt is licensed to practice in Ohio, before the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association, the Columbus Intellectual Property Law Association, and The Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer American Inn of Court.