Marta M. Chou is of counsel to Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Minneapolis office and a member of the firm’s Litigation and Intellectual Property Departments. Ms. Chou focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and intellectual property law matters and has led plaintiff and defense litigation on a wide variety of claims related to antitrust, commercial contracts, patents, trade secrets, false advertising, and deceptive trade secrets and class actions.
Ms. Chou has experience with numerous different industries and areas of the law, and she has defended her clients' legal rights in jurisdictions across the United States. She has represented and counseled individuals and companies in complex case management, including e-discovery, having played a lead role in large patent infringement matters for several corporations and individuals involved in a wide range of industries, including medical device, personal care, sanitation, business loyalty programs and many others. In addition, Ms. Chou has similarly represented and counseled companies on complex commercial litigation, including retailer and wholesaler disputes, asset exchange agreements, business torts, and class actions.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Ms. Chou was with the firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Ms. Chou has represented clients on preliminary injunction motions, summary judgment motions, in obtaining favorable settlements, verdict at trial, and affirmed on appeal. Ms. Chou has played a leading role in large patent infringement matters, representing both patent owners and accused infringers. As a result, she has had significant experience in patent litigation strategy and case investigation; case management; coordination of global discovery efforts (including substantive electronic discovery issues); design and implementation of litigation strategy; focus groups; briefing and argument.
She has previously been named one of “25 on the Rise, Lideres Hispanos” by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota, and as an “Up and Coming Attorney” by Minnesota Lawyer. In 2011, Ms. Chou received Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's "Diversity in Business" award, and was selected as a "Rising Star" by Minnesota Super Lawyers®. In addition, Ms. Chou has spoken at various engagements on the topics of diversity and law, as well as published articles regarding patent litigation. Ms. Chou has also served as an adjunct professor for William Mitchell College of Law's Advanced Advocacy courses.
Ms. Chou earned her B.A. cum laude from James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1999 and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2003, where she was the articles editor from the Wisconsin International Law Journal.
Ms. Chou is active in a number of civic and professional organizations. Ms. Chou belongs to the Minnesota State, Wisconsin State, Federal, American, and Hispanic Bar Associations. She is the former chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association's Diversity Committee where she created the Minnesota Minority Clerkship Program, as well as implemented the Class Action program with the Minneapolis Public Schools and Hazelden. She is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and is a member of the professional development committee for Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, as well as mentor to junior associates with that organization's mentoring program. She is a volunteer lawyer in the Minnesota Supreme Court Guardian ad Litem Program, and for Tubman's domestic abuse program.
Ms. Chou is admitted to practice in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.