Alan Blankenheimer, who joined the firm in 2003, has been devoted to an intellectual property and technology-based practice.

Experience

Mr. Blankenheimer has substantial experience litigating patent cases, other intellectual property matters and antitrust disputes for the semiconductor, computer hardware and software industries. He has represented leading technology companies such as Maxim Integrated Products, Microchip Technology, Azul Systems, Intersil, Cypress Semiconductor and Intel Corporation. Mr. Blankenheimer is a frequent lecturer on the intellectual property and antitrust issues facing technology companies. He has been a Visiting Professor of Patent, Copyright and Trademark Law at the Arizona State University School of Law.

Prior to joining Heller Ehrman, Mr. Blankenheimer worked for a prominent San Diego law firm, and before that at an Arizona-based firm. He is a former judicial clerk to Hon. Irving L. Goldberg, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Blankenheimer was selected by his peers as one of the pre-eminent Intellectual Property practitioners in the 1997 and subsequent editions of The Best Lawyers in America, the 2007 edition of Southern California Super Lawyers, and the Guide to the World's Leading Patent Law Practitioners.

Representative Engagements

• Azul Systems, Inc. adv. Sun Microsystems, Inc.: representation of Azul Systems, Inc., an early-stage company whose pioneering work in "network attached processing" technology has the potential to disrupt the established market for corporate computing resources, in a declaratory judgment action against Sun Microsystems, Inc. involving patent infringement and trade secret allegations; the technologies at issue include transactional memory, use and integration of multiple core processors, distributed processing, garbage collection techniques, and array bounds checking. No. 06-01988 MHP (N.D. Cal. 2006)

• Maxim Integrated Products adv. Analog Devices: defense in trade secret case involving analog-to-digital converters; successfully defended against issuance of a preliminary injunction; litigation ultimately settled in 2007. (North Carolina 2001)

• Microchip Technology v. Zilog, v. Luminary Micro, Inc.: enforcement of microcontroller patent. (D. Ariz. 2005, 2006)

• Applied Precision, Inc. adv. Integrated Technology Corp.: representation of AP in patent litigation regarding probe card inspection systems. (D. Ariz. 2006)

• Maxim Integrated Products adv. Linear Technology Corp.: defense of patent infringement litigation relating to voltage regulators. (N.D. Cal. 1999)

• Maxim Integrated Products v. Semtech Corp.: enforcement of voltage regulator patents. (N.D. Cal.. 2002)

• Maxim Integrated Products adv. Microelectronics Modules, Inc.: defense re voltage regulator patents. (E.D.Wis. 2002)

• Microchip Technology adv. U.S. Philips: defense re serial bus interface patent. (S.D.N.Y. 1999)

• Cypress Semiconductor, VLSI Technology adv. LSI adv. Texas Instruments: successful defense of patent litigation involving plastic encapsulation patents (90 F. 3d 1558 (Fed Cir 1996)

• Cypress Semiconductor Corp. adv. U.S. Philips: defense of patent infringement litigation relating to semiconductor bus interface patent; (S.D.N.Y. 2000)

• Maxim Integrated Products adv. Sipex Corporation: enforcement of computer interface patents. (D. Mass. 1999)

• Integrated Circuit Systems adv. Motorola: defense of action alleging misappropriation of trade secrets concerning high performance frequency timing devices; case settled. (Arizona 1999)

• SyQuest Technology, Inc. adv. Sparc International, Inc.: successful defense of trademark infringement preliminary injunction. (N.D. Cal. 1998)

• Apex v. Rose Electronics, et al: enforcement of computer switching patent (W.D. Wash. 1999)