Steve advocates for clients in all aspects of patent law across a variety of technologies. He has broad experience advising clients on complex issues arising in patent litigation including claim construction, infringement, and validity, as well as on patent portfolio management and strategy. His knowledge base includes product design, mechanical devices, consumer goods, financial services, e-commerce, telecommunications systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and a variety of software and computer-related technologies. Steve is also a frequent author on the intersection of intellectual property issues with i) retail and consumer products and ii) AI and other emerging technologies.

Steve’s clients come from an array of technology sectors and include consumer goods retailers, financial institutions, computer and software technology companies, and e-commerce technology providers. He has patent litigation experience in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, the District of Delaware, the Eastern District of Virginia, the Southern District of New York, as well as before the US International Trade Commission (ITC). He has also participated in several Federal Circuit appeals.

Additionally, Steve has extensive patent prosecution and post-grant proceeding experience before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Prior to joining the firm, and following graduation from the US Naval Academy, Steve served on active duty in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer from 1992 to 2004, serving on three different ships. After the Navy, from 2004 to 2007, he worked at Strategic Insight, Ltd., supporting Navy shipbuilding programs at Naval Sea Systems Command.

Steve is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, 2009

MSME, Naval Postgraduate School, 1998

BS, United States Naval Academy, with merit, 1992

• Conducted due diligence, freedom-to-operate, validity, and patentability analyses, and prepared formal legal opinions reflecting conclusions of such analyses on mechanical devices, financial services programs, and medical devices.
• Prepared and prosecuted design and utility patent applications in the mechanical, electrical, and computer-based arts including inventions relating to agricultural devices, radar, mobile electronic devices, telecommunications systems, and financial services.
• Participated in post-grant proceedings relating to mechanical and electrical devices, including preparation of reexamination requests.
• Participated in complex patent litigations across a diverse set of technologies including medical devices, computer and software technology, encryption, security systems, telecommunications systems, and e-commerce technology.

• Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Member, PTAB Bar Association

• Why design patents should not be overlooked, Intellectual Property Magazine
• Lessons in Design, Intellectual Property Magazine
• 2015 Design Patents Year in Review
• Patent Prosecution Carries Consequences For Later Litigation, Law360
• 2016 Design Patent Law Year in Review