Headshot: Melville Owen See All
Melville Owen mowen@owe.com

Melville Owen is a consultant with Owen Wickersham & Erickson.  He is no longer a practicing attorney, but continues to mentor the firm’s personnel and consult on matters of client business strategy.

In his over 65 years in practice, Mel developed an international reputation as an expert in trademark law and represented iconic brands such as Hello Kitty, Snoopy and the Peanuts comic strip, Williams-Sonoma, Sunset Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, CooperCompanies, Sierra Club, the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association, and over 500 wineries and wine brands including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Harlan Estate and  Cakebread Cellars.

He served on the Trademark Review Commission of the United States Trademark Association. The Commission spent three years developing suggestions for revising the federal trademark law, culminating in passage of the Trademark Revision Act of 1988. Mr. Owen served through 2007 on the Center for Public Resources/International Trademark Association Trademark and Unfair Competition Panel of Neutrals. In addition to his active trademark and copyright practice, Mr. Owen lectured and conducted seminars on trademark, copyright and trade secret law for CEB, Practicing Law Institute, Franchising Forum, International Trademark Association, Institute of Trademark Agents (UK) and the California State Bar. He also served as intellectual property counsel for a variety of civic, charitable and environmental organizations.

In addition to intellectual property related activities, Mr. Owen has served on the Bay Conservation Development Commission, North Central California Coastal Commission, Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Governor’s Earthquake Council.

Mr. Owen makes time to entertain friends and clients aboard the family’s classic cruiser, Pat Pending. Launched in 1929, Pat Pending has been in the Owen family since 1940. Over the years, San Francisco Bay has been the venue for many successful negotiations and settlements.

Read about how Mel Owen pioneered wine trademarks over five decadesThe Dramatic Rise of Wine Branding in California