About John

John’s Marine Corps experience helped shape his strategic approach to intellectual property litigation. He served in an elite airborne unit called 1st ANGLICO (which stands for Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company). Its mission was to assist other branches of service and allied forces through the coordination of close air and naval gunfire support – to help them know the crucial facts on the ground, and thus where to fire and when. As the saying goes, discretion is the better part of valor.

A partner of Dicke, Billig & Czaja, John focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and related appeals, specializing in representing plaintiffs and defendants in patent litigation. He believes there are many paths to victory, and the most efficient route depends on the nature of the case. Once John has carefully considered the lay of the land specific to each matter, his litigation experience allows him to serve as a ready guide in a variety of circumstances. Though he does not shy away from the fight, John helps his clients to choose their battles wisely and preserve their resources.

John has successfully defended clients in patent infringement cases in several U.S. District Courts and Courts of Appeal, including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. John has over two decades of experience in counseling and representing clients in obtaining, protecting, transferring, licensing, conducting due diligence, and conducting freedom to practice for all aspects of intellectual property, including patents, copyrights, and trademarks. John also assists clients with protection of intellectual property outside of the United States.

Nominated as one of The Best Lawyers in America^© several times, John is widely respected as a leader in intellectual property litigation. He has served as co-chair of the Patent Litigation Committee for the Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association. John has taught courses at his alma mater, Hamline University School of Law, where he was the Managing Editor of the law review and graduated cum laude. John’s colleagues also value his advice. He knows from experience how courts construe and interpret patent claims, and how to avoid claim-drafting problems which may surface when claims are challenged.

Having earned his “Gold Wings” in the Marine Corps, John decided he’d rather fly planes than jump out of them. After acquiring his private pilot’s license, he earned his commercial pilot’s license and became a certified flight instructor for single engine airplanes and instruments. Ultimately, John earned a B.S. degree in biology (with a 4.0 G.P.A in his major) with further concentrated studies in chemistry.

An avid outdoorsman, John enjoys hunting, fishing (out of a canoe is the best, he maintains), and foraging for wild foods, particularly maple sap (for syrup), morel mushrooms, black raspberries, blueberries, wild strawberries (which he claims are the most concentrated and intense flavor in a very small package) and honey. He may be a giant bear of a man, but he is a gentle one – outside of the courtroom, anyway.