Abstract:

Will discuss what initially sparked my interest in nuclear engineering, how I transitioned from engineering to law school, and what my current practice involves. This third element, which will make up a bulk of the presentation, will focus on my current law practice, which is patent litigation. Currently, litigating patents is a big-money industry and development in various technology sectors—pharmaceuticals, software, and telecommunications to name a few—relies heavily on patent protection and the assertion of those patents. While there is a great deal of dirty and detailed procedure involved with patent litigation, there are also interesting, mind-bending, and exciting (think, bet-the-company kind of stakes) aspects that intertwine law, science, and business. I’ll discuss the types of clients my firm deals with, how a firm like mine operates, and introduce some interesting wrinkles that patent litigation involves.

Bio:

I grew up in Indianapolis, and graduated in 2009 from Purdue University (B.S. Nuclear Engineering) and in 2012 from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington (Doctor of Jurisprudence). As an undergraduate, I was a member of the Purdue Engineering Student Council and specifically involved with the committee that organized the 2007 and 2008 Industrial Roundtables. Further, in 2008, I interned with Honeywell International at its Metropolis Tool Works uranium conversion facility. While in law school, I was a senior board member of the Federal Communications Law Journal and a thrice-elected member of the student government. I am a member of the Indiana Bar and am admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I began working full-time for Faegre Baker Daniels in September 2012.