History
I started my professional career with Sandia National Laboratories, working in parallel computing for embedded and scientific applications. I became interested in how technologies actually got into use, which is how I encountered the world of intellectual property and technology transfer. That led me to law school, and then to working in Sandia’s legal department, providing legal counsel on patents and licensing.
An Albuquerque biotech startup recruited me out of Sandia to serve as general counsel. I worked with them for several years, eventually negotiating the company’s exit from a relationship with a large sponsor company, and then starting multiple venture-funded spinouts based on the technology. Those spinouts kept me as outside general counsel and IP counsel; and other startups engaged me as well. I’ve served as counsel on IP matters, corporate governance, financing, strategic partnerships, licensing in and out, and exits. I aim to keep clients out of litigation, but, if the other side insists on conflict, I also help strategize and manage litigation in concert with experienced litigation counsel.
What I can do for you builds on what I have done for others. I’ve had the privilege of learning in large company and startup settings, and working with a wide range of people and technologies. I love strategy games and puzzles, and thrive on combining legal knowledge, game theory, business acumen, technology capability, and the study of people to figure out how to maximize your chance of success, and reduce the harm from the inevitable challenges and setbacks. If numbers and dates are important to you, here are a few of mine:
2001-present: Private legal practice, licensed US patent attorney.
General counsel and intellectual property counsel for various venture-funded and public companies, and NewMexico venture capital investors. U.S. and foreign intellectual property strategy and implementation, licensing and financing, negotiation andmanagement of strategic relationships. Clients include Avanca Medical, Manhattan Scientifics, Aspen Avionics, Vertical Power, NASUS, TMC, Aqua Membranes, Seamless Medical, Asset Performance Technologies, CVI, TruTouch Technologies, VeraLight, Luminous Medical, Novint Technologies, Silent Falcon UAS, Sigma Labs, Medici Technologies, Miraculins, Aqua Research, Leverage Rock, Devv.io, Imagion Biosystems.
2011-2014: President, Senior Scientific LLC.
Part of the team that acquired the company. Led the transformation from grant-funded to investor-financed,including private and public market investor relationships. Hired technical team, transitioned technology from collection of research projects to in-house expertise on path to commercialization. Placed first cancer detection instrument in collaboration with MD Anderson. Started commercial sales of best-in-class nanoparticles. Helped recruit new CEO, and remained as corporate and IP counsel.
2001-2009: General Counsel, InLight Solutions.
Member of the executive team that recaptured all of the intellectual property after a multiyear relationship with LifeScan; planned and implemented 5 venture-funded, medical technology spinout companies and multiple financing transactions; developed and managed extensive patent estate relating to in vivo biological measurements.
1993-2001: Sandia National Laboratories Legal Department, Albuquerque, N.M., Senior Manager/Patent Attorney.
Intellectual property legal counsel for three divisions, including robotics, computing, and systems (over 1000 scientists, engineers, and programmers). Helped develop corporate strategic plan concerning licensing, joint ventures, equity, and intellectual property.
1985-1993: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N. M., Senior Member of Technical Staff.
Research topics including medical imaging, parallel computer architectures, network computing, embedded computing, robotic vision.
Juris Doctor, Univ. of New Mexico, Dec. 1996, summa cum laude, #1 in class.
M.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Univ. of New Mexico, Dec. 1987, 4.0GPA.
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University 1985, summa cum laude, 4.0GPA.