Pat is a patent attorney with experience as both in-house and private practice counsel. Along with his J.D., Pat earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Florida, and a master’s in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. Pat’s “triple crown” of legal, technical and business knowledge gives him an edge in protecting his client’s intellectual property investments.
Pat’s practice experience began at a boutique patent law firm, where he collaborated with clients to craft their intellectual property portfolios to help them achieve their strategic business objectives. His work focused on patent preparation and prosecution in technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, 4G/5G cellular infrastructure, distributed antenna systems, citizens broadband radio systems (CBRS), photovoltaic devices, aircraft avionics and navigation, autonomous vehicles and urban air mobility.
Serving as in-house senior patent counsel for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, Pat gained insight into the client side of intellectual property law. He served as lead in-house patent attorney for NREL’s National Center for Photovoltaics and Energy Systems Integration groups. There he managed patent prosecution of diverse patent portfolios covering a wide range of renewable energy technology areas. He also collaborated with researchers, scientists and engineers by leading invention disclosure meetings to identify patentable innovations. Pat managed outside patent counsels’ preparation and prosecution of patent applications, an experience that informs him today on how to meet in-house counsel clients’ needs.
In addition to patent preparation and prosecution, Pat has also advised corporate in-house counsel and patent portfolio managers in decisions regarding portfolio management, assessment of prosecution and appeal strategies, and evaluating potential value of allowed subject matter. He is well-versed in applications involving multinational teams of inventors and has extensive experience with European and Chinese patent prosecution in collaboration with local patent counsel.
During law school, Pat worked as a corporate law clerk for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) of the U.S. Department of Energy in Portland, Oregon. There he worked with BPA attorneys on regulatory issues as well as miscellaneous environmental protection issues affecting the Columbia River Basin.
Before law school, Pat was a licensed professional engineer in the state of Florida and worked for the Florida Power and Light Company as a principal nuclear power plant engineer. He developed a broad understanding of the electric power grid through engineering projects and tasks involving fossil and nuclear power generating facilities, electric power transmission infrastructure and local power distribution systems delivering power to commercial and residential customers. Primary areas of responsibility included reactor control systems and process instrumentation, radiation monitoring systems, high voltage power distribution systems and the emergency diesel generators.
Clients and colleagues have enthusiastically commended Pat and his work. Said a senior scientist, “[Pat] has a very good understanding of science and engineering in addition to patent law which made it easy for us to collaborate on and complete several complicated invention disclosures on schedule under a very compressed timetable. He is a consummate professional.”