Blog

Speakers

• Jones, Ian

  Gill Jennings & Every LLP | Partner

  Ian Jones, PhD is a Partner at Gill Jennings & Every, LLP in London, England. Drawing on over a decade of experience, Ian advises pharmaceutical and industrial chemistry companies, as well as those in the biotechnology and medical devices sectors, on how to protect their innovation and leverage the value of their intellectual property.
• Noble, Nick

  Kilburn & Strode LLP | Partner

  Nick specialises in high-tech patent work and handles large volumes of high value work in the fields of healthcare technology, telecoms & standards, and electronics. His academic background and 20 years’ experience has led to him being recognised as a leading expert in healthcare technology. He advises his clients on all aspects of patent protection, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, opposition proceedings, freedom to operate, and infringement and validity opinions and he has particular experience of standards-related patent matters.
• Halpenny, Genevieve

  Barclay Damon LLP | Associate

  Genevieve M. Halpenny is an associate at Barclay Damon LLP and uses her PhD in chemistry to advocate for clients who are seeking patents in a variety of chemical, engineering and scientific disciplines. Genevieve has worked with clients to protect their intellectual property rights in matters before federal courts, state courts, and the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Genevieve has also helped clients protect and monetize their technologies through licensing and other deals.
• Meyer, Mercedes K.

  Banner Witcoff | Attorney

  Mercedes Meyer, Ph.D., represents leading life science and technology companies maintaining an extensive biotechnology and pharmaceutical patent management, prosecution, opinion and due diligence practice. With a doctorate in virology and degree in chemistry, Mercedes has a deep understanding of complex biotechnology and scientific research, which is key for advising life science clients on commercializing and protecting product innovations as well as performing diligence for investing in new technologies, particularly in corporate joint development projects. Mercedes advises on developing patent strategies, managing the intellectual property rights, and making associated investments and acquisitions. Mercedes also handles patent reexaminations and inter partes matters.
• Hricik, David

  Mercer University School of Law | Professor

  Professor David Hricik received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arizona, and his law degree with Honors from Northwestern University School of Law. He practiced with Baker Botts and litigation boutiques from 1988 to 2002, litigating cases primarily involving patent infringement, legal malpractice, and general complex commercial matters. He is now a solo practitioner, representing practitioners and others before the Office of Enrollment and Discipline and in other disciplinary matters, consulting with firms about ethical issues, and serving as an expert witness. In 2021, he became a registered mediator.
• Ram, Jocelyn

  The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard | IP Counsel

  With over two decades of intellectual property experience, in both private practice and at USPTO, Ms. Ram brings a unique perspective to her work. As IP Counsel at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Ms. Ram manages a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge genomic technologies and focuses on issues at the convergence of AI and biotech. She utilizes unique USPTO insider knowledge (gained as a speechwriter for USPTO Director Iancu and USPTO Deputy Director Peter and as a patent analyst in USPTO Office of International Patent Cooperation) in strategizing how to quickly acquire valid patents and build a strong comprehensive IP portfolio. Her technology background focuses on biomedical, mechanical, electromechanical, and software technologies, with specialization in the medical device field. Her biomedical engineering degree from Cornell University, and communications & technology master’s from Georgetown University, in addition to her law degree from Boston University, provide a strong foundation for understanding the technical and legal aspects of patent law and for expertly communicating this subject matter to diverse audiences.
• Polson, Margaret

  Polson Intellectual Property Law | Founder and Principal Attorney

  Margaret Polson is founder and principal attorney for Polson Intellectual Property Law. Overseeing the preparation and prosecution of utility and design patent applications, trademarks, and copyrights, she also assists clients with licensing and intellectual property strategy and management.
• Fink, Karl

  Fitch Even | Partner

  Karl R. Fink has been a partner at Fitch Even since 1995 and is co-chair of the Litigation Practice Group. His practice includes all aspects of commercial litigation and intellectual property litigation, creation, management, enforcement, and licensing, with particular emphasis on patent litigation. Karl has been a full-time first-chair trial lawyer since 1981, handling hundreds of lawsuits in state and federal courts across the country, both at trial and on appeal, as well as in the International Trade Commission. His litigation practice also includes the handling of inter partes reviews in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Leaper, Matthew

  DataFeel | Founder & CEO

  Matthew Leaper is the Founder and CEO of DataFeel® - a B2B company working to commercialize a proprietary line of haptic technologies with broad applications in communications and therapy. Mr. Leaper is a registered professional engineer (NE, Mechanical) and patent attorney (USPTO, NJ, NY) with 10,000+ hours of billable experience at boutique intellectual property law firms on the American East Coast and the Canadian West Coast. He founded the company in 2017 and has been building its IP portfolio ever since, resulting in two issued US patents across six open patent families in Canada, Europe, and the US with dozens of pending or allowed claims and trademark protections in nine countries around the world.
• Singer, Neil

  ZeroWheel, LLC | CEO, CTO, and Founder

  Neil Singer, PhD is the CEO, CTO, and founder of ZeroWheel, LLC, based in Armonk, NY. ZeroWheel is a high-end, motorized, fitness product, focused on making core development efficient, and accessible for users of all levels. Dr. Singer is an optimization expert specializing in dynamic systems and motor control technology. He received his BS in 1983, SM in 1985 and PhD in 1989, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Mechanical Engineering department. Dr. Singer’s research focuses on machine design, dynamics, control and optimization of dynamic systems. He has published 39 technical papers, holds 19 patents, and his Input Shaping® technology for machine vibration reduction is taught in dozens of universities and used in millions of machines worldwide. He has also taught several courses at MIT.
• Spraggins, Barrett

  Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP | Founding Partner

  Barrett Spraggins is a U.S. patent attorney and founding partner of the IP boutique Kennedy Lenart Spraggins LLP. As a seasoned attorney with over 15 years in the IP profession, Barrett provides a variety of IP services including patent portfolio creation, strategic counselling, IP portfolio evaluations, technology transactions, patent licensing and litigation support. As a trusted advisor for organizations of all sizes, Barrett has considerable experience in managing global IP portfolios for international companies, as well as creating new portfolios for startups. With a background in electrical engineering, Barrett practices in a wide range of industries and technologies, including software applications, electrical power and battery systems, autonomous vehicles, sensor design, distributed computing environments, medical devices, circuit design and fabrication, and all types of computer hardware.