Melody Drummond Hansen
Partner
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Melody Drummond Hansen is an Intellectual Property and Technology Partner in O’Melveny’s Silicon Valley office. An experienced litigator, Melody has tried cases in federal and state courts, the US International Trade Commission, and the US Patent & Trademark Office. With over a decade of experience in technologies from cameras and streaming video to voice recognition and autonomous vehicles, she thrives at the frontiers of technology and law. Melody guides established market leaders and emerging companies alike through patent, data security, trade secret, privacy, copyright, trademark, contract, and unfair competition matters, and helps them overcome regulatory hurdles. Melody has litigated and advised clients in matters involving diverse technologies including avionics, mobile telecommunications standards, networked devices, internet content delivery architectures, semiconductors, secure payment processing, and consumer products, with experience in both hardware and software.
As Chair of the firm’s Automated & Connected Vehicles Industry Group, Melody is a thought leader in the developing law for autonomous vehicles, and she advises companies on litigation risk, data security and privacy, regulatory compliance, and state and federal agency investigations. Melody has been quoted and published on autonomous vehicles in publications including CNN, The Recorder, and Law360. She also is a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law.
Honors & Awards
- Named to the Daily Journal’s list of “Top Women Lawyers” (2021)
- Recognized by The Recorder as a California Trailblazer (2020)
- Named to NLJ’s Technology Law Trailblazers List (2019)
- Named to The Daily Journal’s Top Artificial Intelligence Lawyer (2019)
- Recommended by Legal 500 for her work in Intellectual property - Trade secrets (2017)
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
Court Admissions
- US Court of International Trade
- US District Court, Central and Northern Districts of California
Education
- University of Chicago, J.D.: cum laude; Order of the Coif
- Oxford University, MSc, Comparative and International Education: with distinction
- Georgetown University, A.B., American Studies: summa cum laude; John Carroll Scholar; Phi Beta Kappa
Professional Activities
Member
- Transportation Research Board’s Emerging Law Committee
- Co-Chair, Bar Association of San Francisco Intellectual Property Executive Committee
- American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law
- International Bar Association Intellectual Property Communications and Technology Section
Co-Author
- “Automated Vehicles in 2019: Predictions and Suggestions,” Law360 (January 18, 2019)
- “Litigating Under the First-to-File rule,” American Intellectual Property Law Association conference (2006)
Speaker
- Panelist, UCLA Anderson Panel at Automobility LA (November 17, 2021)
- Moderator, “Are you Being Reasonable? Implementing and Defending Reasonable Data Security Requirements,” O’Melveny and the Crypsis Group Webinar (August 13, 2020)
- “California Privacy Law 2019,” Practicising Law Institute (September 26, 2019)
- Panelist, “Automated Vehicles Ecosystem End-to-End Cybersecurity,” Automated Vehicles Symposium (July 17, 2019)
- Representing smart and connected home solutions leader in patent litigation accusing home security and connected home devices and mobile applications (E.D. Tex.)
- Advising data solutions company regarding developing standards and practices regarding data solutions for automated and connected vehicles
- Advising autonomous vehicle technology company in responding to California DMV and U.S. National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration inquiries regarding product under development, open source research software, and advertising
- Advising global leader in connected car technology, audio, cloud services, and IoT solutions regarding multiple intellectual property matters, including advice regarding licensing, supplier agreements, and audio and wireless standards
- Advised autonomous truck technology company regarding testing permits in multiple states, accident response, and data preservation
- Representing leading Internet search company in patent litigation asserting eleven patents related to user interface, streaming video and audio, and delivery and navigation of Internet content (N.D. Cal.)
- Represented leading premium streaming service in licensing dispute and declaratory action for non-infringement of on-demand video programming over an internet connection (over-the-top) services
- Represented premier global payments technology company in litigation related to a significant data security breach and enforcement of risk-management programs, including claims for breach of contract and under California unfair competition law (M.D. Tenn.)
- Advised industry-leading aerospace company regarding multiple intellectual-property and antitrust related matters
- Represented global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company in patent infringement lawsuit involving nineteen patents asserted against digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies and high-speed internet, digital television and video-on-demand services, including claims related to mobile telecommunications standards compliance; after winning claim construction, plaintiff moved for non-infringement on its own patents, after which a favorable settlement was achieved (W.D. Tex.)
- Represented industry-leading computer and electronics company in a patent infringement case in which sixteen patents were asserted relating to features of smartphones, tablet devices and MP3 players, including claims related to mobile telecommunications standards compliance; after successful summary judgment motions then initial trial on three patents, won partial judgment as a matter of law of invalidity that was affirmed on appeal; currently litigating remaining patents (D.Del.)
- Represented innovative semiconductor company in litigation against former employees involving trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, and breach of covenants not to compete (Collin County, Tex.)
- Represented global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company in patent infringement lawsuit involving nineteen patents asserted against digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies and high-speed internet, digital television and video-on-demand services (W.D. Tex.)
- Represented industry-leading computer and electronics company in multiple district court and US Patent & Trademark Office matters involving patents related to interactive television and streaming media; successfully argued at IPR proceeding leading to invalidation of majority of challenged claims (N.D. Cal. and U.S.P.T.O)
- Represented leading telecommunications company in patent infringement case involving analog to digital signal conversion and digital signal processing; won early claim construction and stipulated judgment of non-infringement; affirmed on appeal (C.D. Cal.)
- Represented leading internet content delivery company in patent litigation that sought to enjoin client's business; won jury verdict of non-infringement affirmed by the Federal Circuit (E.D. Va.)
- Represented intervener cellular telephone manufacturer in Section 337 investigation before the United States International Trade Commission; obtained favorable initial determination and favorable Federal Circuit decision on appeal that set groundbreaking precedent regarding downstream relief (U.S.I.T.C.)
- Represented respondent semiconductor manufacturer and consumer electronics companies in patent infringement Section 337 investigation, implicating products of over a dozen respondents; resulted in full respondent victory, including determination of no domestic industry, and invalidity or noninfringement of all asserted claims (U.S.I.T.C.)
- Represented defendant consumer products company in trademark infringement and dilution litigation; obtained summary judgment of no liability, and client awarded fees for “exceptional case” (N.D. Ill.)
- Represented defendant consumer products company in false advertising, unfair competition, and defamation litigation; obtained summary judgment of no liability (N.D. Ill.)
