Ian enjoys working closely with clients and being a member of the team. His easy-going attitude together with his technical aptitude and legal expertise enable him to provide quality intellectual property counsel on multiple levels—from simple advice to complex portfolio strategy. Ian takes pride in his work and especially enjoys coming up with creative ways of claiming inventions that provide broad patent protection for his clients. He also enjoys advising clients on the use of trademarks, recognizing the importance of branding in today’s marketplace.
Prior to earning his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering with honors from the University of Texas at Austin, Ian was the team leader of his senior design project entitled Design and Evaluation of a Valve Train Incorporating Dual Camshafts Located Between the Cylinder Banks of a Vee Engine, which was prepared for Chrysler as part of its redesign and eventual production of the HEMI® engine. During college, Ian interned at Applied Materials in Austin, Texas, where he worked closely with manufacturing engineers responsible for increasing the manufacturability of semi-conductor wafer fabrication machines. Prior to law school, Ian worked as a mechanical test engineer in the Vehicle Dynamics Group of Freightliner in Portland, Oregon, where he managed the brake-testing program and was involved in other areas including, among others, ride-comfort testing and fuel efficiency testing.
Ian graduated with honors from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2005 with a certificate in intellectual property law. While in law school, he received the awards for outstanding oral advocate and outstanding appellate brief in the First Year Moot Court Competition, served as an editor for the Oregon Intellectual Property Newsletter, represented Lewis & Clark at the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition (for intellectual property), was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board, served as President of the Intellectual Property Student Organization (IPSO), and won First Prize in the 2004 Annual IPSO Chili Cook-Off. In recognition of his superior scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the law school community, he was selected by the faculty to be a member of the Cornelius Honor Society. During the summer between his second and third years of law school, Ian clerked for the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ian is rated as a top intellectual property attorney by Super Lawyers.
Practice Areas
Ian has a broad IP practice, focusing on patent and trademark procurement and client counseling. He has broad experience across multiple disciplines including the mechanical and business method arts. In particular, he actively works with client technology related to outdoor sports and recreation products, aerospace and automotive technologies, toys, and consumer products.
Education
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
J.D.
Lewis & Clark Law School
Bar Admissions, Court Admissions, Professional Organizations
- Oregon State Bar
- The State Bar of California
- District of Oregon
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
Interests
In his spare time, Ian enjoys cycling, hiking, snow sports, golf, and spending time with his family.