Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce that it has opened a new office in Silicon Valley, effective April 1, 2018, with the addition of four intellectual property attorneys and two senior patent agents. The four attorneys joining Dickinson Wright are Michael J. Ferrazano as Member and William Cheng as Associate, Chad Eimers, and J. Brian Loker as Of Counsel. James Aslanis, Jr. and Bret McClay join the firm as Senior Patent Agents.

“We are thrilled to be joining Dickinson Wright and expanding its intellectual property practice into the critical Silicon Valley market,” said Michael J. Ferrazano. “Dickinson Wright offers an ideal blend of the highest quality legal acumen with superior client service. Our experience with major world class technology providers in Silicon Valley will strengthen and complement the firm’s already nationally-recognized practices.”

“Michael Ferrazano and his team bring preeminent qualifications to Dickinson Wright, immediately strengthening our intellectual property practice,” said William T. Burgess, CEO of Dickinson Wright. “We’re also excited to join the Silicon Valley business community, to continue to expand service offerings to our clients in key practice areas, and to truly become a coast-to-coast firm.”

Below is a description of Dickinson Wright’s new attorneys and patent agents and their practices:

Michael J. Ferrazano, Member – Mr. Ferrazano focuses his practice on intellectual property and licensing. He brings significant experience in computer networking, applications and implementation, digital signal processing, computer software, integrated circuit design, and semiconductor device fabrication. He is also particularly knowledgeable in the following technologies: computer technologies; electronics and telecommunications; mechanical and medical devices; bio-informatics and semiconductor technologies. In addition to patent prosecution matters, Mr. Ferrazano has substantial experience in intellectual property audits, due diligence reviews and technology licensing arrangements. Mr. Ferrazano has been recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in Intellectual Property by Sacramento Magazine. He received his B.S. in Nuclear Physics and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; his M.S. in Nuclear Physics and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University; and his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.

William C. Cheng, Associate – Mr. Cheng focuses his practice on intellectual property and licensing. He has prepared and prosecuted patent applications, performed due diligence work, and managed patent portfolios in the computer software, computer network, wireless communications, consumer products and electronics, lighting, medical device, surgical instruments and methods, business methods, biotechnology, and gaming device fields for a variety of clients, including startup companies, Fortune 500 companies and universities. Mr. Cheng is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Intellectual Property Inn of Court and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He received his B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology from Baylor University and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Chad Eimers, Of Counsel – Mr. Eimers focuses his practice on intellectual property and licensing, in particular on patent preparation and prosecution of patent applications related to consumer electronics. He performs prior art searches to create patentability opinions as well as validity of existing patents. He also has experience with preparation and prosecution of patent applications related to athletic apparel. While working as a Patent Examiner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Mr. Eimers examined a broad range of patent applications including rotary equipment (including tools and cutting devices) and metal defamation devices. Prior to law school, Mr. Eimers worked for a Bay Area company that specialized in automation technology and sensing equipment. He gained first-hand experience in helping the semiconductor, solar, and food & beverage industries to increase efficiencies and improve on existing technologies. He received his B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Cornell College; his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University; and his J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law.

J. Brian Loker, Of Counsel – Mr. Loker focuses his practice on intellectual property and licensing. His current matters include preparation of new patent applications and prosecution of pending patent applications in front of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as well as coordinating prosecution of pending patent applications in foreign jurisdictions. Mr. Loker’s specific experience with diverse technologies includes 3D graphics, image processing, machine learning algorithms, wireless technologies, signal processing, virtualization, data networks, and automotive systems. He received his B.S.M.E. from the University of California at Berkeley and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.

James Aslanis, Jr., Senior Patent Agent – Mr. Aslanis brings over three decades of engineering and research experience to his practice. He works with high technology industry clients to develop patent portfolios, as well as prepare and prosecute technology patent applications. He provides technical advice, including invalidity and non-infringement analysis for clients in patent litigation and licensing. Mr. Aslanis also has a background in electrical engineering, systems engineering and biomedical engineering, with particular experience in wireless communications, signal processing, circuit design and semiconductor technology. Mr. Aslanis received his B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering/Systems Engineering from Case Western Reserve University; and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Bret McClay, Senior Patent Agent – Mr. McClay focuses on patent preparation for technology clients. His current matters include prosecuting pending patent applications (both U.S.-based and foreign) and drafting patent applications. He graduated with a Computer Science degree and was previously a software engineer, which allows him to easily interface with clients. Mr. McClay received his B.S. from the University of California at Irvine.

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