Dr. Ed Ergenzinger

Ed Ergenzinger, JD, PhD, is a patent lawyer, neuroscientist, and adjunct professor whose personal experience battling bipolar disorder motivates and informs his mental health advocacy, writing, teaching, and speaking. After a cycle of mania and depression left him hospitalized, unable to work, broke, and owing a mountain of taxes and debt, Dr. Ergenzinger collected Social Security Disability benefits as he struggled to regain his health. With medication and therapy, he has been able to return to the practice of law and has become a mental health advocate and educator. As a lawyer, Dr. Ergenzinger has practiced patent law for over 20 years, serving clients ranging from solo inventors and start-up companies to world-class research universities and Fortune 500 companies. He has worked at two AmLaw 100 firms, an AmLaw 200 firm, a large regional general practice firm, boutique IP firms, and a solo practice, as well as in-house for an academic research institute and for a start-up company. Dr. Ergenzinger regularly writes and speaks about mental health issues, and is currently developing a course on mental health and wellness in the legal profession for Wake Forest University School of Law, tentatively projected to be offered Spring Semester 2023.