Perform patent prosecution, portfolio management, and freedom-to-operate analyses for growing medical device company.

CrossPond Law offers one-stop global patent and trademark prosecution services, as well as outsourced fractional general counsel services.

I am a co-host of the Dr. Homebrew podcast on The Brewing Network. Once a month, we sample, judge and score homebrew from brewers all over the country, and offer suggestions for improvement. We also have some fun while we're doing that! http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/dr-homebrew/

I was responsible for all corporate legal matters, patent strategy, and compliance.

My practice focused on patent preparation and prosecution, particularly in the software and user interface areas. I advised clients on patent strategy, and patent portfolio development and maintenance.

Contract attorney at a virtual law firm. I prepared and prosecuted patent applications, provided advice on patent portfolio strategy and management, and handled technology transactions.

Intematix develops and manufactures phosphor and remote phosphor for white LED lighting and display applications. I joined Intematix to broaden my experience and my skill set. I quickly learned materials science and inorganic chemistry on the job, in order to direct outside counsel, analyze freedom to operate, and identify inventions. I manage our in-house patent team that includes a senior paralegal and a patent agent. I also manage global outside counsel, and a portfolio of almost 200 patents globally. Intematix's customers are located around the world, with a concentration in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. Periodically I will visit customers in those locations with our sales team, to help customers understand our IP position. In order to get our spending under control, and align our IP strategy with the business, I implemented a simple data-driven system from ranking our IP. Also to that end, I re-invigorated the Patent Review Committee to ensure that all functional units understand what we are doing with IP, and to ensure they have a chance to be a meaningful part of the IP process. For example, what sales & marketing sees on the ground in terms of competition and demand is important in determining the value of a particular patent or patent application. I was also responsible for commercial contracts and technology transactions, including NDAs and supply agreements. Our customers were often large entities in the electronics space, and while it can be challenging when there is bargaining asymmetry, it is always possible to come to an agreement that both parties can accept.

I moved from LA to the Bay Area to join this company, because I love working with smart, dedicated, fun people, and because I was (and still am) a true believer in the company and the technology. As the only attorney at the company, I was responsible for all legal matters, with the exception of SEC filings/reporting. Over the course of 10 years, I built our patent portfolio from 2 to 100 issued US patents. I prepared and prosecuted all applications myself. We had the unfortunate experience of being the target of an interference proceeding against a key patent, but we succeeded in defeating the other party in the preliminary phase, even as the junior party. I also managed due diligence for our successful IPO.I also handled all trademark matters, including an opposition against our company name, which we settled successfully. While I prepared freedom-to-operate memoranda, it was more important (and more fun) to engage and remain engaged with the technical staff early in the design process in order to navigate through a crowded art and end up with innovative products that did not face IP obstacles to sales.

By this point in my legal career, I had enough experience to understand that I preferred the patent prosecution aspect of intellectual property to the litigation aspect of intellectual property. I prepared and prosecuted patent applications in diverse technology areas, up to the tech crash of 2001.

I prepared and prosecuted patent applications in diverse technology areas. In addition, I performed freedom-to-operate analyses and wrote formal opinion letters. I prepared and prosecuted U.S. trademark applications and handled opposition proceedings. I prepared motions in U.S. District Court cases, and served on a trial team for a patent infringement case in the District of Oregon. Of course, as a new associate I was deeply involved in discovery on several cases. In the course of litigation, I supervised junior associates and paralegals.

I wrote and negotiated Interface Control Documents (ICDs) between McDonnell Douglas and other International Space Station prime contractors. ICDs are essentially contracts between different program participants, ensuring that the pieces of ISS could be assembled correctly on orbit. I love seeing ISS at sunrise or sunset every few weeks - you can, also, using NASA's Spot the Station app at spotthestation.nasa.gov.