BIOGRAPHY

I am a patent and trademark attorney practicing in Houston for the last 7 years.  Prior to starting my own practice, I was Vice President and General Counsel to two $100M plus corporations. 

I am focused in the drafting and prosecution of patent and trademark applications.  My goal is to efficiently and cost effectively protect client intellectual property.  This requires understanding the client’s business goals as well as understanding the underlying technology.    Many of my clients are small businesses or start up companies.  Some of my clients are business professionals starting a second career.  To expedite the patent application process, I regularly conduct interviews with patent examiners to resolve issues in the application process.  

I have patented technology for down-hole oil field sensors, underground pipe repair devices and methods, and automated security barriers.  I have also patented computer assisted processes and methods.  See Representative Patents  Pending applications pertain to digital composite photography, medical devices, and internet portals for currency transactions.   

My work includes searches of the USPTO database of issued patents and published applications in order to assess the novelty of inventions.  These prior art searches also facilitate efficient drafting of a patent application and patent claims.  

Additional tasks have included searching and evaluating prior art to advise client management and technical staff of potential conflicts, as well as the drafting and negotiation of non-disclosure agreements and joint technology development agreements with several major oil E&P companies and oil field tool manufacturers.  

I have successfully registered numerous trademarks, including successful appeals of trademark rejections and defense of allowed trademarks in opposition proceedings.  I have conducted trademark searches and advised on the potential success of registering a proposed mark.   

I also possess experience in dealing with Small Business Innovative Research Contracts (SBIRs).  These contract awards may be of value in moving an invention from the development stage to the a product.