Ms. Margaret J.A. Peterlin
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Margaret J.A. Peterlin was sworn in as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in April 2007.
As Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Ms. Peterlin advises the President, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administration about intellectual property matters. As Deputy Director of the USPTO, she administers the laws of granting patents and trademarks, and the day-to-day management of the $1.7 billion agency and its more than 8,000 employees.
As a leader in intellectual property (IP) policy, Ms. Peterlin helps develop and articulate Administration positions on all patent, copyright, and trademark issues, both domestic and foreign. She also promotes strong IP policy globally, including strategies to thwart the theft of U.S. IP around the world. As an agency leader, Ms. Peterlin implements policies and initiatives that provide innovators with quality and timely patent and trademark examinations. She also provides strategic leadership to employees to help them achieve organizational excellence.
Before joining the USPTO, Ms. Peterlin was Counsel for Legal Policy and National Security Advisor for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert. In this role, she advised the Speaker, House and Senate leadership, and senior staff on legislative policy and strategy, including judiciary issues such as IP protection, and international relations issues.
She previously was General Counsel to Richard Armey, Majority Leader of the U.S. House. She clerked on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for Judge Jerry E. Smith. Ms. Peterlin also served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy for four years, working in the communications field.
A native of Daleville, Alabama, Ms. Peterlin holds a bachelor of arts from the College of the Holy Cross. She earned a legal degree cum laude from the University of Chicago, where she was the founding Editor in Chief of The Chicago Journal of International Law. She is a member of the New York State Bar and lives in Virginia.
Ms. Margaret A. (Peggy) Focarino
Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Margaret A. (Peggy) Focarino was appointed to be the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in January 2005. In this capacity, she is responsible for all patent-examining functions in the seven Patent Technology Centers and all operational aspects of patent application initial examination, patent publications, and international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications processing. Ms. Focarino leads more than 5,500 highly skilled scientists and engineers.
Prior to becoming Deputy Commissioner for Patents, Ms. Focarino was a Director in Technology Center 2100, Computer Architecture, Software and Information Security. Before that, she was a Group Director in Technology Center 2800, a Deputy Group Director in the former Patent Examining Group 1100, and Acting Director of the former Patent Examining Group 310.
Ms. Focarino began her career at the USPTO in 1977 as a Patent Examiner. She became a Supervisory Patent Examiner in 1989 and was promoted to the Senior Executive Service in 1997. She received the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal in 1993 for her work as a Supervisory Patent Examiner.
Ms. Focarino has served as Patents' Chief Negotiator on several negotiations with the National Treasury Employees' Union (NTEU), local 243, including negotiations on a basic contract, the move to the USPTO's headquarters in Alexandria, and the implementation of several new automated systems. She has also developed and negotiated numerous award programs for the technical support staff and managers within all of the business units in the Patent organization. She has served as the liaison for the Patent Business on Employee Relations issues with the Office of Human Resources and has been heavily involved in the training of Patent Managers on issues dealing with Employee and Labor Relations for the last several years.
Ms. Focarino received her undergraduate degree in physics in from the State University of New York. She also completed the Certificate of Advanced Public Management Program with Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Ms. Elaine F. Marshall
North Carolina Secretary of State
In 1996, Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall became the first woman ever elected to a statewide, executive branch office in North Carolina.
Secretary Marshall was a member of the NC State Senate before rising to statewide office. She holds a B.S. in Home Economics from the University of Maryland and a J.D. (law degree) from Campbell University. She has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Lees McRae College and Meredith College.
Her work experiences include teaching Home Economics in the public school and community college systems, co-ownership of a book and gift store, establishing an interior decorating business and the private practice of law.
Secretary Marshall has been very active in many civic groups in the areas of child welfare, youth activities, women's issues, and agriculture and small town economic development.
Since becoming Secretary of State, she has received numerous state and national awards for leadership in technology, government innovation, and women's leadership.
She has been honored as a "Distinguished Woman" by several organizations and received the North Carolina 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
Secretary Marshall has become a nationally recognized leader in the fight against counterfeit and pirated products. She has even received a "Gold Record" from the Recording Industry Association of America for her law enforcement work to protect Trademarked goods and patent holders.
In 2004, Secretary Marshall received the Distinguished Attorney Award from the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys -- a group that has only awarded this honor twice in its entire history.
Also that year, Secretary Marshall was inducted into the Honor Society of Agriculture of N.C. State University, and she received the Common Cause North Carolina Leadership in Government Award.
In 2005, Secretary Marshall was honored with the North Carolina Association of Educators’ Women’s Equality Award.
Last year Secretary Marshall was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in Business by the Triangle Business Journal; awarded the National Notary Association’s 2006 Achievement Award; and elected President for 2007 of the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, an organization dedicated to bringing best technology practices into all levels of government across this country!
She is married and has five step-children and seven grandchildren.
Mr. Matthew Anderson
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 2600
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Matt joined the USPTO in 1999 after graduating from Case Western Reserve University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. Until 2006, he was a Primary Examiner in TC 2100 where he examined applications related to computer memory and was extensively involved in the training of junior examiners. Matt is currently a SPE in TC 2600 where he supervises examiners in the radio and satellite communications area. Throughout his career at the USPTO, he has received numerous awards including the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal.
Mr. Richard Apley
Patent Agent
Dick Apley received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He received his law degree from the University of Baltimore. Dick is a registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent agent. He worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for 35 years. Eighteen of those years, Dick was a Supervisory Patent Examiner, and 2 of those years, he was Director of the Office of Independent Inventor Programs. As Chief Patent Officer in his current position, Dick supervises patent attorneys, agents, and technical writers. In his spare time, Dick enjoys playing golf, watching movies, and reading.
Mr. Stephen Ashley, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mr. Ashley is a registered patent attorney, and is admitted to practice law in North Carolina and Mississippi. His practice at Adams Evans P.A. consists of preparing and prosecuting patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as handling patent infringement actions and other intellectual property litigation. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry in 1993, and he earned the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 1997.
Mr. Allen R. Baum
President, LES (USA & Canada)
Allen is the current LES (USA & Canada) President. He was previously the Vice President, Administration for two years and the Trustee for the Professional Development Series and Meeting Content for one year each. He chaired the recent LES Spring Meeting 2005 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a frequent speaker for the LES professional development courses.
Allen has additional professional affiliations with the American Bar Association and The American Intellectual Property Law Association. He is a patent attorney and Partner with Hutchison Law Group, PLLC in Raleigh, North Carolina. His practice focuses on life sciences companies. He is a former pharmaceutical analytical research chemist for DuPont Merck and Smith-Kline Beecham. Allen's expertise is in counseling pharmaceutical/ biotech companies, opinion drafting, negotiation of licenses, litigation, and patent procurement. He holds a BSCh. from Muhlenberg College and earned his JD from Widener University School of Law.
Ms. Lynne H. Browne
Appeal Practice Specialist, TQAS – Technology Center 2100
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Lynne Hambleton Browne is technology center quality assurance specialist (TQAS) specializing appeal practice in Electrical Technology Center 2100. Prior to accepting the position as an Appeal Practice Specialist, she was a supervisory patent examiner (SPE) in Technology Center 2100 for a period of 2 and a half years and she was a SPE in the Mechanical Technology Center 3600 for 5 and a half years. She has been a member of the Patent and Trademark Office's management staff since November of 1998. In her current position, she regularly consults with the more than 350 examiners in her assigned workgroups as well as their 36 managers.
Before joining the Patent and Trademark Office, Ms. Browne worked for the United States Air Force Logistics Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative. Ms. Browne holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wright State University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from George Mason University. Ms. Browne is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and she is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the 4t Circuit.
Ms. Browne began her career at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1990, as a Patent Examiner. She examined applications involving medical devices, exercise equipment, and tobacco products for a period of 8 years. During that period she served on a detail to the Office of Patent Legal Administration, interned at the International Trade Commission Office of Unfair Import Investigations, and was awarded the Bronze Medal of the Department of Commerce for Superior Federal Service. Ms. Browne has also served on a work assignment to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and is currently a representative of the Office of the Independent Inventor Programs.
Mr. John Cabeca
Supervisory Patent Examiner
United States Patent and Trademark Office
John Cabeca is a Supervisory Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this capacity, he oversees a group of patent examiners working in the field of Graphical User and Operator Interfaces. Prior to becoming a Supervisory Patent Examiner, John examined inventions in Motive Control Systems, Robotics, and Dynamic Information Storage and Retrieval. John gained additional experience in intellectual property and USPTO operations through work assignments to the Office of Petitions and the Office of Patent Legal Administration under the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy. He also was on special assignment to the Office of Congressional Relations for the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. More recently, John served on work assignment to the Executive Office of the President in the United States Trade Representative's Office for Intellectual Property and Innovation and the Office for Japan, Korea and Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum Affairs.
Through nationwide workshops on patent and trademark operations and procedures, he has dedicated much of his career to serving the needs of independent inventors and is an as an active member of the Inventor Assistance Program. In addition, John participates in university outreach programs to educate students on the relationship between technology and intellectual property.
John is a 1989 graduate of Widener University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. John is also a graduate of the 2006 Department of Commerce Science and Technology Fellowship program. Since coming to the USPTO in 1989, John has received a Bronze Medal and an Exceptional Career Award for his contributions to the advancement of the Office's critical goals and improving the quality of its products and services.
Ms. Catherine Pace Cain
Staff Attorney, Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Catherine Pace Cain is a Staff Attorney in the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Before joining the Commissioner’s office in February of 2006, Catherine served as an Examining Attorney with the USPTO for six years. Prior to attending law school and joining the USPTO, she enjoyed a lengthy career in the publishing industry, working at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in New York and Little, Brown and Company in Boston, and as a freelance copy editor.
Ms. Cain received a BA in English from Marymount Manhattan College and a JD from the New England School of Law.
Mr. John J. Calvert
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 3700
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Since October 1998, John has been responsible for supervising as many as 21 examiners in the area of textile technology in Art Unit 3765.
John graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Textile Technology in May 1971. He worked for Milliken and Co. and J. P. Stevens in various management positions including Division Director of Human Resources Development before returning to N.C. State University to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Textile Management. In February of 1990, John joined the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as an examiner in Group 240 specializing in textile technology. In February 1995, John became a Primary Examiner. Since then he has worked on detail as a Petitions Examiner. John also was selected for work assignment in the Search and Information Resources Administration where he worked in PALM as liaison between the Office of Patent Legal Administration and SIRA instituting changes reflective of changes in patent rules and formulating changes in the manner in which OIPE communicates with the customer. He also served as Sr. Project Manager for the Office of Electronic Patent Application Processing dealing with changes in the patent application format bringing a standard application format into compliance with US practice, the Patent Law Treaty and PCT.
As the former Acting Director for the Office of Independent Inventor Programs, John remains actively involved with the ongoing campaign to educate inventors about invention promotion firms and will continue to expand the outreach initiative to the inventor community.
Mr. Calvert has received numerous achievement awards, including the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for superior Federal service and the United States Patent and Trademark Office Exceptional Career Award. Mr. Calvert completed studies in the Syracuse University, Maxwell School certificates program of Advanced Public Management and completed the Executive Development Seminar sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management.
Mr. Robert Crouse, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Bob Crouse received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with Honor from Northeastern University and his JD from Wake Forest University
School of Law. Before becoming a lawyer, Bob worked as a design engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation and at Polaroid Medical Imaging Systems. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar and registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Bob's practice focuses on patent prosecution in the areas of semiconductors, communications, software, and computer systems.
Ms. Monica P. Doss
President and CEO
Council for
Entrepreneurial Development (CED)
Since 1986, Monica Doss has served as President of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), a non-profit organization founded in 1984 to stimulate the creation and expansion of high-growth entrepreneurial businesses in North Carolina. Doss is responsible for spearheading the direction, operation and overall management of the organization. During her 20-year tenure, CED has grown to become the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the United States, with 4000+ members representing 1100 member companies, and an annual budget of $2 million.
Ms. Doss has received both local and national recognition as an industry leader. She was awarded the 1999 National Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Supporter of Entrepreneurship category and serves as a National and Regional Judge, received the 2003 Goodmon Leadership Award, and the 2004 Triangle Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award. Doss is actively involved in numerous and diverse professional and educational organizations. Doss is past chair of the North Carolina Public Radio WUNC Community Advisory Board, is on the Board of Directors of the Triangle United Way and a Director of Southeast BIO as well as a Director of the North Carolina Bioscience Fund. She serves on the Board and Executive Committee of NCIDEA. She is a chairman and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Education Foundation based in Kansas City. She co-chaired the Entrepreneurship and Technology Committee for the Research Triangle Region's Future Cluster Competitiveness Initiative and served on the North Carolina Nanotechnology Planning Committee. She is a frequent speaker and coach on entrepreneurial development and building innovation-based economies and an active member in national and regional coalitions on entrepreneurship and innovation.
About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, headquartered in Research Triangle Park with a divisional office in Wilmington, is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the Research Triangle and North Carolina. In July 2005, Wilmington’s Coastal Entrepreneurial Council merged with CED to create CED-Coastal, a divisional office focused on entrepreneurial development in Wilmington and throughout North Carolina’s entire coastal region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED is the largest and oldest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 5,500 members representing over 1,200 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. www.cednc.org.
Mr. Louis J. Foreman
Inventor - Founder and Chief Executive,
Enventys
Louis Foreman is founder and Chief Executive of Enventys (www.enventys.com ), an integrated product design and engineering firm with offices in Charlotte, NC and Hong Kong. Louis graduated from The University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics. His interest in starting businesses and developing innovative products began while a sophomore with his first company founded in his fraternity room. Over the past 20 years Louis has created 5 successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of over 10 others. A prolific inventor, he is the inventor of 9 registered US Patents, and his firm is responsible for the development and filing of well over 150 more.
The recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurial achievement, his passion for small business extends beyond his own companies. Louis volunteers his time teaching small business classes at Central Piedmont Community College, and gives back to the small business community by mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs. He is a frequent lecturer and radio/TV guest on the topics of small business creation and product development.
In addition to being an inventor, Louis is also committed to educating others on the topic of intellectual property. In 2007, Louis became the publisher of Inventors Digest, a 20 year old publication devoted to the topic of American Innovation.
Louis currently serves as a board member for the University of North Carolina Charlotte Technology Commercialization Committee, The Entrepreneurial Leadership Council at Queens University, The Central Piedmont Community College Small Business Advisory Board, as well as, serving other community and charitable organizations. In 2005, Louis was a founding member of The Inventors Network of the Carolinas, a non-profit organization that empowers inventors through education, support, and networking opportunities. Most recently, Louis is serving as the Executive Producer and judge for a new inventor's TV show called Everyday Edisons. The show began airing nationally on PBS stations in May 2007.
Ms. Montia Givens-Pressey
Staff Attorney, Policy Office of the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Montia Givens-Pressey is a staff attorney in the Policy Office of the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks. Montia's duties include providing expert information and guidance on law and policy matters pertaining to the federal trademark registration process, maintenance requirements for registrations, and the petition process to both internal and external customers. Montia also drafts petition decisions on a wide range of issues in petitions to the Commissioner for Trademarks, including the review of decisions by Examining Attorneys and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In addition, Montia provides expert legal support to the Post Registration Unit of the Trademark Office, including developing relevant training materials, reviewing relevant proposed legislation, and responding to day-to-day inquiries about legal issues.
Previously, Montia worked as a Trademark Examining Attorney with the Office from 1995 to 1999, where in addition to examining applications, Montia also trained newly hired attorneys and assisted in various other management activities. Montia also worked for five years as a trademark associate with a large intellectual property law firm in Washington, D.C. where her practice focused on trademark prosecution, client counseling, and advice in proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Montia received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.
Marjorie Gurganus, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Marjorie Gurganus has been practicing Patent Law since 2005. She focuses her practice in Biotechnology. Marjorie received her B.S. in Entomology from Cornell University, her Ph.D. in Genetics from North Carolina State University, and her J.D. from Duke University. Marjorie is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and the District of Columbia. She is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Before joining the Patent Bar, Marjorie worked at Duke University's Genome Ethics, Law, and Policy Center. Prior to law school, Marjorie gained considerable work experience at agricultural biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations and over twelve years of empirical research experience at academic and government institutions. She conducted Postdoctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology in Germany, at the University of Texas, Arlington and at North Carolina State University. She was also a Lecturer in Biology and Genetics at Texas Wesleyan University and the University of Texas, Arlington. In addition to her doctoral thesis, Marjorie has five other Genetics publications in prestigious scientific journals.
Mr. David Hendricks, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mr. Hendricks is a Patent Attorney with Coats and Bennett, PLLC in Cary, NC. He has been involved in patent application preparation and prosecution for mechanical and electro-mechanical systems in electrophotographic applications, as well as medical devices. Prior to joining Coats & Bennett, Mr. Hendricks maintained a solo practice specializing in patent prosecution for individual clients and corporations focused on chemical processes and mechanical devices. Mr. Hendricks has also assisted clients with the formation of limited liability companies and the preparation of trademark applications.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Hendricks worked for over 23 as a Chemical Engineer in process engineering and air pollution control. He has provided 10 years of technical support as a contractor to the Environmental Protection Agency for the development of national air emission standards. Mr. Hendricks has directed numerous projects involving development of control technology options for regulatory development, pollution prevention alternatives, air pollution control evaluation, and assessment of impacts of proposed regulations. Mr. Hendricks also has extensive experience in the industrial sector developing air emission permit applications, and as a process engineer for printed circuit board chemical manufacturing processes and wastewater treatment operations.
Mr. Jonathan Hines, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Jonathan concentrates his practice on patent preparation and prosecution, patentability and freedom to practice analysis, and licensing. He is the managing member of Trego, Hines & Ladenheim, PLLC. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Examples of technology Jonathan has worked with include gas turbine engines and related technologies, medical products, computer software, consumer products, electrical equipment, piping and valving, and aircraft seating.
Mr. Percy Hooper
Associate Professor, Industrial Design
NC State University College of Design
Enventys
A native of North Carolina, Percy Hooper was born in a small Black community in Winston-Salem on April 2, 1955. Both he and his younger sister were nurtured in a social environment that welcomed their
interests in musical and artistic pursuits. In 1973 Hooper left a
budding career in music to begin his studies at North Carolina State
University where he graduated with honors holding degrees in both
Product Design and Architecture. Upon graduating in 1978, Hooper moved
to New York where he worked in international architectural design with
the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Returning to North Carolina in
1984, Hooper continued to pursue commercial architectural design until
he founded his own design company, Hooper Design, Inc in 1988. While
engaged in architectural consulting and space planning, Hooper continued
exercising his interests in product design. He began a series of studies
to design educational/developmental teaching tools. Coming from a family
of educators, teaching was a natural extension of Hooper's design
interests. So, when he was invited to guest lecture at the North
Carolina State University School of Design, he readily accepted the
offer of a part time teaching position. Hooper continued to teach part
time and direct Hooper Design, Inc while pursuing an Industrial Design
graduate degree which he completed in 1991. In 1994, Hooper's passion
for teaching lead to an Assistant Professorship in the Industrial Design
department at NC State. In that same year Hooper also earned his first
patent for a set of educational building modules that promotes spatial
discovery through the exploration and manipulation of compound curved
surfaces. Hooper subsequently developed other modular construction
systems, including one called Tensile Tiles that uses curved surface
stretched fabric on an architectural scale. Hooper has authored articles
on these and other studies for a number of publications, both foreign
and domestic. Hooper has also answered invitations to present his
discoveries in lectures throughout Europe, Africa, Australia and Central
America. Having grown up in a highly supportive community, Hooper looked
to the local Raleigh community to participate in the projects of his
industrial design studio. To promote both design education and community
service, he founded Industrial Design Community Contact. In this
program, industrial design students meet with and design products for
community members in need. Among the students' "community clients" have
been members of an arthritis support group, young children in a school
for the blind, and residents in a retirement home. Now serving as
Director of the Graduate Program in Industrial Design at NC State,
Hooper enjoys his role as an academic innovator, and looks forward to
developing his future career as a "Producer of Educational Opportunity".
Percy Hooper lives with his wife and two daughters in Cary, NC.
Mr. Billy Houghteling
Director of the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT)
North Carolina State University
Mr. Houghteling received his BS in Biology form Siena Heights University as well as an MS in Plant Molecular Biology form Ball State University. He has experience in both academic and industry research as well as experience in contract development and negotiation. Before joining the OTT, he worked at a start-up biotechnology company as a Research Scientist and assisted in business development and technology transfer. As OTT's Director, Mr. Houghteling provides technology and intellectual property management services for faculty, staff, and students at NC State. His primary responsibilities include oversight of technology transfer initiatives and strategies and the management of NC State's Plant Variety Portfolio and technology management in the areas of life science, biotechnology, agriculture, and textiles.
Mr. Charles Joyner, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mr. Joyner is a patent attorney who has been helping clients to manage their intellectual property issues for over twenty years. His skills have been honed in patent departments of large pharmaceutical companies, such as Burroughs Wellcome Co., Glaxo Inc., and Eli Lilly & Co. He also spent several years as a Counsel to the Burns Doane law firm and was instrumental in setting up the firm’s Research Triangle Park Office. Currently he heads his own firm specializing in providing legal counsel to small companies and independent inventors. His primary areas of practice are chemical, mechanical devices, electro-mechanical devices, manufacturing processes, business methods, and material science.
Mr. Joyner earned a BS in Chemistry from Virginia Tech and an MS in Organic Chemistry from North Carolina State University. He completed law school at North Carolina Central School Law and is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and before the USPTO. Mr. Joyner also served in the U.S. Army and in the North Carolina National Guard; retiring as a Lt Col. after 23 years of service.
Mr. Anthony Knight
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Technology Center 2100
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Tony is a graduate of Drexel University, where he earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1985. Upon graduation he joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office as an examiner in the technology of pipefittings. While working at the USPTO, Tony attended George Mason University School of Law and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1990. From 1990 until 1992, he was in private practice. Tony has prosecuted applications for various technologies through out the USPTO. In 1992, Tony returned to the USPTO. After achieving the grade of primary examiner, he was promoted to his current position as a supervisory patent examiner in 1997. Tony is responsible for supervising examiners in the computer controls and artificial intelligence areas.
Mr. Mark Lavender, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mark Lavender is a founding partner of Triangle Patents, PLLC and is a licensed patent attorney in North Carolina and before the US Patent and Trademark Office. With an engineering, biomedical, and software background, he represents clients throughout the US and abroad. Mark has experience in the mechanical, biomedical, electrical, software, textile, and pulp/paper fields. Prior to joining Neopatents, he worked as an engineer for Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company. Mark obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in biomedical engineering and a law degree from Duke University.
Mark is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the American Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association, the Triangle Intellectual Property Law Association, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Ms. Nancy Le
Supervisory Patent Examiner
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Nancy Le is a graduate of University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. She joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1990 as a patent examiner reviewing patent applications related to A/D converter and printer and facsimile technologies. As an examiner, she has worked on assignment with the Special Program Examiner shop of Technology Center 2800, the Office of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and the Office of the Commissioner for Patents. She went on to become a Supervisory Patent Examiner in 1997 where she was responsible for supervising the examination of applications related to printers and electrical measuring and testing. Nancy is currently the executive assistant to the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations in the Office of the Commissioner for Patents. Prior to joining the USPTO, she worked at IBM in North Carolina, General Dynamics in Texas, and Vitro Corporation in Maryland.
Ms. Megan Lyman, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Megan E. Lyman is a patent attorney with her own practice in Raleigh. She is licensed with the State Bars of California and North Carolina, as well as registered with the U.S.P.T.O. After completing her Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, she received her law degree with honors from Pepperdine University. As an associate at Jones Day, in Irvine, CA, she gained experience in a variety of intellectual property areas, addressing a multitude of technological disciplines. She drafted patentability opinions, office action responses and prior art searches. She also gained substantial experience in litigation drafting successful summary judgment motions, taking depositions, and addressing a variety of discovery, trial, and settlement issues. Since relocating to the Raleigh area, Ms. Lyman’s practice has focused on patent prosecution and trademarks. Clients from a variety of industries have utilized her expertise to determine the scope and presence of prior art for new inventions, filing applications, responding to the Patent Office, filing appeals, and consultations regarding interferences and potential infringement.
Mr. Terry Lee Melius
Quality Assurance Specialists, TC 3600
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Terry is one of the Quality Assurance Specialists (TQAS) in Technology Center 3600 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Before becoming a TQAS, Terry was the Supervisory Patent Examiner in the same TC. Terry joined the Patent and Trademark Office in 1985. Prior to coming to the Office, Terry was a computer programmer for a large chain store corporation. While being an Examiner, Terry worked mostly in the oil well and harvesting technologies. Terry received a Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 1983 and also has two years of computer science training from the York Campus of the same university. Terry received the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award in 1995 for Superior Federal Service in recognition of his work as a Primary Patent Examiner.
Mr. Mike Murphy, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mike Murphy is a registered patent attorney and partner at the intellectual property law firm of Coats & Bennett, PLLC, located in Cary, NC. Mr. Murphy focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a number of complex technologies, including wireless communications, digital and analog circuits, microprocessor design, and complex software systems.
Mr. Murphy's work as a patent attorney fully leverages his years of experience as a working electrical engineer, where he focused on embedded systems design. In that context, Mr. Murphy worked in a range of technology areas, including microprocessor-based design, ASIC development, precision analog circuit design, and embedded software development.
Mr. Murphy holds a J.D., summa cum laude, from North Carolina Central University, and a B.S.E.E., summa cum laude, from West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Mr. Murphy is a member of the North Carolina Bar and is admitted to federal practice in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Mr. Murphy also is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Wake Co. Bar Association, and the Triangle Intellectual Property Law Association.
Ms Mary Margaret (Mo) Ogburn, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
As an attorney with Blanco Tackabery since May of 1994, Mo practices intellectual property law, including trademark registration, copyright protection, intellectual property licensing, computer and internet law. She also has an active business transactions practice helping clients structure for-profit and non-profit corporations, limited liability companies and other entities, purchase and sell businesses, acquire and finance commercial real estate, and draft and negotiate numerous types of business agreements. Mo received her B.S. from North Carolina State University, and her M.S. and J.D. from Duke University.
Mr. Richard Ridley
Supervisory Patent Examiner
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Richard Ridley is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1992. He worked for International Paper Company as a Production Supervisor where he supervised production employees in the Bleach Plant, Caustic Plant, and Woodyard; and also worked for General Motors Corp as a Maintenance Shift Supervisor where he supervised skilled trade employees. Richard attended the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and in 2003 received his Masters in Business Administration with a focus in Finance. Richard joined the USPTO in 1997 as a Patent Examiner and examined applications directed to the power conveying, fluid conveying, and sheet feeding arts. He became a Primary Examiner in 2003. In 2005, Richard took on his current Supervisory Patent Examiner role and manages examiners working in the areas of Machine Elements, Bearings, Lubrication, Shifters, Derailleurs, and Endless Belt Power Transmission.
Mr. Lewis Rowell, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Mr. Rowell is a patent attorney and currently practices with the firm of Womble Carlyle. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section. Before practicing law, Mr. Rowell served in various engineering positions with Carolina Power & Lighting Company (CP&L) in the nuclear generation areas. His experience between 1983 and 1999 with CP&L included design engineering, nuclear licensing, project management, and independent assessment of nuclear plant activities.
Mr. Rowell graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree, concentrating in Applied Science and Engineering. He received a Master of Science degree in Management from North Carolina State University in 1993 and was awarded his Juris Doctor summa cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law, valedictorian of the Class of 1998.
Mr. David Sigmon, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
David Sigmon earned his B.S. degree in Textile Engineering and an M.S. degree in Textile Management from North Carolina State University. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a process and project engineer for TNS Mills, Inc. conducting project engineering work in yarn manufacturing and both woven and nonwoven fabric manufacturing. He also has conducted research into computer integrated manufacturing. He received his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mr. Sigmon is a member of the North Carolina and South Carolina State Bars, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Mr. Robert M. Spear
Training and Quality Assurance Specialist
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Robert M. Spear is a Training and Quality Assurance Specialist at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, working in the area of design patents. Rob joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1993 and began examining design patent applications in the textile, packaging, tire and advertising arts.
Rob is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Army reserve, having served a successful career as a military policeman, guitar player, combat engineer officer and medical architect. He received his bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1980, and is a registered architect in the District of Columbia. He lives in Burke, Virginia with his wife, Debbie, and until recently with their two adult children.
Ms. Lisa S. Stafford
Business Analyst,
Search & Information Resources Administration Customer Outreach Team
Lisa Stafford is a member of the Search & Information Resources Administration (SIRA) Customer Outreach team for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As a Kearns & West contractor to USPTO, Lisa coordinates briefings and manages focus sessions for EFS-Web stakeholders. In addition, she educates stakeholders by developing collaterals based on customer's feedback and demonstrates the EFS-Web system in briefings and trainings. Ms. Stafford recently received a Certificate of Recognition from the USPTO for her contributions in making EFS-Web successful since the system launch in March 2006.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a focus in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Prior to USPTO, Lisa worked with the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program, where she supported the Outreach and Public Liaison Office by managing Congressional activity, facilitating media interactions and conducting research on speaking and tradeshow opportunities. Lisa has also worked at Black Entertainment Television and the Public Broadcasting Service station, WHRO TV assisting in their programming departments.
Mr. Gregory Stephens, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Gregory Stephens practices intellectual property law with a focus on patent prosecution. He has extensive experience in the drafting and prosecution of patent applications for Fortune 500 companies in the Research Triangle Park, N.C. area, technology start-up companies in Princeton, N.J., and major research universities like the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, North Carolina State University, Duke University and Rutgers University. Some technologies Mr. Stephens has worked with include computer hardware and software systems such as mobile telecommunication networks and mobile phones, IP telephony infrastructure, RF transponder systems, software control systems, consumer electronics, network interface drivers, image analysis/pattern recognition, and Smart Cards. He also drafts and prosecutes software and business method patent applications. Mr. Stephens is a former patent examiner. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section, the American Bar Association, the AIPLA and the Triangle Intellectual Property Law Association.
Mr. Eric Stevens, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Eric Stevens focuses his practice on intellectual property law and commercial litigation. Eric has substantial experience representing clients in intellectual property litigation, including trademark infringement, domain name piracy, copyright, software licensing, trade secrets, right of publicity, and false advertising. Eric also is experienced in other forms of commercial litigation, including franchise disputes, unfair or deceptive trade practices, disputes over employee restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties, contract and Uniform Commercial Code disputes, and disputes over insurance coverage of intellectual property matters. He also advises clients on trademark and copyright matters, prosecutes applications for federal trademark registration in proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and handles opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the USPTO. Eric received his B.A. from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Mercer University.
Mr. Michael Sykes
2007 Modern Marvels Invent® Challenge
Michael Sykes, a Wake Forest builder, will talk about his 25 year journey inventing a house that heats and cools itself without fuel or electricity. You would think this was a slam-dunk, a better mousetrap, and the world would beat a path to your door. Think again. In words and pictures Michael describes both the light bulb moments, and the unbelievable obstacles, in the invention process leading to America’s Most Innovative House, and now, the Modern Marvel of 2007.
Born 1949 in Greensboro, North Carolina
Summer jobs in the Tobacco and Lumber industry
Mechanical Engineering Graduate of North Carolina State University
House Builder in Raleigh, North Carolina
Founder of Blue Ridge Cabins Log Homes in Wake Forest
Developed the physical and mathematical concept of: “Energy-from-a-shift-in-time.” Coined the term “Enertia” for the concept and wrote the equations to define it.
Trademarked “Enertia®” US No. 1,429,242 in 1987
Inventor: US Patent No. 4,621,614
Founder and President of Enertia Building Systems, Inc.
Inventor: US Patent No. 6,933,016 B1
AWARDS:
US Department of Energy Innovation Award
NC Governors Energy Achievement Award
Most Innovative Structure of the 20th Century
Grand Prize Winner of Modern Marvels Invent Now® Challenge
Dr. Mary Beth Thomas
Director of Technology and Commercialization at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
Dr. Mary Beth Thomas serves as the Director of Technology and Commercialization at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). Mary Beth has been with the SBTDC since May 2005. She has counseled with start-up and early-stage technology businesses in areas of business planning, partnering and strategic planning and assists in the SBIR/STTR outreach program. As Director, she supervises the SBTDC’s Technology Group with counselors at six locations across the state. She actively participates with local entrepreneurial organizations on events that focus on improving the commercial environment for small technology-based businesses. The SBTDC is North Carolina’s business and technology extension service and is administered by NC State University on behalf of The University of North Carolina system.
Dr. Thomas graduated with her Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the University of Cincinnati and graduated with her B.S. in Biotechnology at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Dr. Thomas has received awards and honors from the National Eye Institute, the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University, and as the Student Representative for Developmental Biology Graduate Students at the University of Cincinnati.
Ms. Bambi Walters, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Bambi Faivre Walters is in private practice and routinely prepares and prosecutes patent applications in various technology areas such as VoIP and media delivery systems, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, medical devices and systems, information management systems, electrical and mechanical devices (e.g., RF testing equipment, laser devices), environmental and water resource systems, and other areas. While Ms. Walters served as in-house patent counsel to Corning Cable Systems, she prepared and prosecuted patent applications for fiber optic joining point (FOJP) and cable assembly (CA) products, reviewed patent applications prepared by outside counsel, and managed the FOJP and CA worldwide patent portfolio of approximately 700 patents. Ms. Walters obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Tulane Law School in May 1997 (magna cum laude). She obtained her license to practice law in Louisiana in October 1997, her license to practice as a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the Spring of 1999 and her license to practice law in North Carolina in the Spring of 2000.
Ms. Joyce Ward
National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame Joyce Ward is the intellectual property attorney for the National Inventors Hall of Fame (known as NIHF). She is also a manager for Business Development at NIHF and works out of the Washington, DC office of the organization. Before coming to NIHF, Joyce worked as an attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office where she served for several years in a law office dedicated to examining trademark applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, chemical and computer technology and information systems fields. While working at the agency, she developed a trademark curriculum used by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to teach students about the role of trademarks.
Joyce received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987 and her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC in 1991.
Mr. Neal Wolgin, Esq.
North Carolina Bar Association
Neal Wolgin’s practice focuses on intellectual property matters affecting all aspects of an entity's operations, from formation to the acquisition, creation and commercialization of intellectual property assets. His experience includes obtaining U.S. and foreign trademarks and patents, counseling clients on brand-name protection, drafting and negotiating patent, trademark and technology license agreements, and resolving intellectual property disputes. He is a registered patent attorney.
