Experience
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Self-Employed Patent Licensing Professional, January 2024 – Present
- Remote work on a contract basis for patent portfolio owners
- Assisting with patent assertions, including chart prep, presentation, and defense
- Assessing patent portfolios for acquisition and licensing
FORVIA FAURECIA, Auburn Hills, MI (US headquarters)
Vice President – IP Monetization and Defense, February 2021 – January 2024
- FORVIA Faurecia provides automotive solutions including cockpit electronics, seating systems, ADAS technology, engine controls, and emerging technologies.
- Recruited to monetize both core and non-core patent portfolios
- Briefed C-level executives on licensing and sales activities
- Defended against inbound patent assertions and indemnification claims
- Drafted and negotiated confidentiality agreements, patent licenses, and patent sale agreements
- Collaborated with patent portfolio team to improve quality of core patents and applications
- Results: generated patent monetization revenue in the seven-figure USD range
INTELLECTUAL VENTURES (IV), Bellevue, WA
Chief Counsel – Licensing & Program Development, Nov 2015 – Feb 2021
- The IV funds manage approximately USD $5B of invested capital.
- Earned 1st chair responsibility for drafting, negotiating, and closing complex patent transactions
- Earned three promotions and progressive responsibility for managing and monetizing patent portfolios
- Asserted and defended patent infringement contentions in adversarial licensing negotiations
- Results: contributed to cumulative licensing and sales revenue in the nine-figure USD range
ROVI CORPORATION (now Adeia, Inc.), Santa Clara, CA (remote)
Senior Director – Patent Licensing Attorney, February 2014 – October 2015
- Rovi pioneered Interactive Program Guide (IPG) technology and held a valuable portfolio of ~5000 patents.
- Joined Rovi to rebuild and relaunch patent licensing program
- Improved processes for delivering claim charts and supporting materials
- Supervised two patent engineers as direct reports
- Supported international enforcement campaigns across the US, APAC, and EMEA
- Results: contributed to closing licenses leading to significant revenue in 2014 and 2015
INTELLECTUAL VENTURES (IV), Bellevue, WA
Director – Patent Licensing Attorney, May 2009 – January 2014
- Joined team of seasoned patent prosecution attorneys, then transitioned to patent licensing
HOPE BALDAUFF HARTMAN, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Partner (firm since acquired by Lee & Hayes and dissolved), October 2007 – May 2009
- Growing patent boutique firm with a high-tech client base
- Trained, mentored, and supervised junior patent associates in patent prep/pros
- Chosen by client to draft patent applications for high-profile inventors
- Results: billed approximately $350,000 in full calendar year
LEE & HAYES, PLLC, Spokane, WA
Associate Patent Attorney, February 2005 – October 2007
- Highly-ranked mid-size patent boutique firm with a high-tech client base
- Facilitated invention brainstorming sessions with high-profile client
- Earned responsibility as managing counsel for significant client
- Results: in one year, doubled size of team serving assigned client
- Joined Hope Baldauff after Lee and Hayes changed operating model
WEST CORPORATION (now Intrado), Omaha, NE
Associate Counsel – Intellectual Property, February 2001 – February 2005
- West was the industry leader in call center and teleconferencing solutions.
- Established new in-house intellectual property department
- De facto chief IP counsel, responsible for all IP matters company-wide (e.g., open source, litigation support)
- Embedding with R&D teams to capture and protect innovation
- Monitored patent landscape by tracking filings of competitors
- Developed risk mitigation strategies
- Results: grew portfolio of issued patents approximately four-fold, and grew portfolio of pending applications approximately six-fold
- Joined Lee & Hayes to gain management experience when promised career growth did not materialize
Early IP Legal Career, August 1995 – January 2001
- Entry-level and mid-level legal positions at law firms and at Unisys Corporation
- Client counseling and opinions on infringement, validity, product clearance, and patentability
- Drafted, filed, and prosecuted patent and trademark applications
ENGINEERING
INTERGRAPH CORPORATION (now part of Hexagon AB), Huntsville, AL
Senior Systems Engineer, April 1989 – July 1992
- Intergraph was an industry leader in workstations and software for engineering and design applications.
- Designed and executed hardware and software test procedures for automated cartography systems
- Earned early promotion to Senior status
- Left Intergraph to begin law school and IP legal career