Russ Weinzimmer has twenty years of experience in patent law, which includes seven years of experience doing complex patent preparation and prosecution in demanding law firm environments, seven years as management in a leading corporate environment, and over six years in private law practice. Corporate and entrepreneurial experience prior to his career in law enables him to better understand the needs and objectives of his clients. Russ Weinzimmer presently advises a variety of start-up ventures.

At Cognex Corporation, as Chief Patent Counsel, Russ Weinzimmer was the first full-time in-house attorney at the company. Cognex is a global public company in the machine vision industry with more than $150 million annual revenue. Cognex Corporation won its law suit against Jerome Lemelson's limited partnership, and invalidated his machine vision patents that were used to extract millions in license fees from larger companies such as Ford and Motorola. Cognex was founded in 1981 by three MIT graduates. Starting in 1994, Russ grew the patent portfolio from two issued patents with two patents pending, to over 115 issued patents with 133 patents pending, within seven years. Russ worked closely with engineers to strategically identify patentable technology. He personally prepared and filed eight new patent applications per year , working directly with world-class company founders/inventors.

Prior to joining Cognex Corporation, Russ Weinzimmer was primarily involved in the preparation and prosecution of highly technical patent applications in a law firm environment full-time, while he attended law school in the evening. In particular, he prepared and prosecuted patent applications relating to computer software, and computer hardware, communications, medical devices, speech recognition algorithms, semiconductor devices, signal processing, database algorithms, advanced computer systems, high-temperature superconductors, image processing, high-speed modem algorithms, medical imaging and analysis, optical devices, and computer disk storage devices. He also rendered patent infringement and patent validity opinions.

Prior to entering patent law, Russ Weinzimmer was a co-founder of a software start-up, and was involved in various aspects of technology marketing in a corporate environment. He brings the perspectives gained through these business experiences to his practice of Strategic Patent Law^sm.

For more information on Russ Weinzimmer, click here.

David George Johnson graduated from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia with a B.S. in Engineering, cum laude. He is a licensed professional engineer who has worked in the fields of radio telemetry and instrumentation related to fluid flows of all types, including water, plastics, and other chemicals in both gas and liquid form.

David received his J.D. from the University of Virginia and subsequently worked for nine years as a patent prosecutor at one of the ten largest intellectual property law firms in the world. He has drafted patent applications in the fields of medicine, chemistry, electronics, thermoplastics, computer hardware and software, mechanical engineering and mathematics. David is licensed to practice law in California, Hawaii and Minnesota and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. David holds an Extra Class Amateur Radio license and is an instrument rated Private Pilot.

Dr. Doug Burum  draws on many areas of expertise when preparing patent applications for the firm as a Senior Technology Specialist.  Dr. Burum’s qualifications and experience include medical and scientific instrumentation, RF and digital electronics, conventional and cryogenic magnets, telecommunications, LASER optics, automated sample handling, process control, and computer hardware and software engineering.  Doug Burum has a PhD in Physics from Cal Tech.

In addition to his PhD thesis, Doug Burum is the author of more than 20 published scientific research papers, primarily on the topics of magnetic resonance and laser optical spectroscopy.  His career in scientific and medical instrumentation has spanned more than 20 years, during which time he has gained significant expertise in a wide range of devices and the underlying technical disciplines on which they are based, such as RF electronics, digital control and interfacing, data handling technology, and both conventional and cryogenic magnets.  His experience includes design and implementation of new methods, hands-on electronic design and support, product management, and management of a new product development group.  He is himself co-inventor on two patents.

Doug Burum’s career has also included management of new hardware and software products in the telecommunications industry, as well as development of advanced instrumentation and methods for process control. He is currently preparing for the U.S. Patent Bar Examination in 2008.

Joe Carlen has over 10 years of experience preparing highly effective business plans, loan applications, and grant proposals that enable inventors and entrepreneurs to obtain financing. Mr. Carlen has prepared such documents for large corporations, such as Westinghouse, for start-ups, and for individual inventors. He has served clients in industries relating to consumer goods, electronics, medical devices, healthcare, automotive, energy, online services, and many others.

Mr. Carlen has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master's degree in Information Systems Management from Carnegie Mellon University, with various additional certifications in business and technology. Offering a rare combination of technical knowledge, business acumen, and superb research, analysis, and writing skills, Mr. Carlen prepares financing documents of the highest caliber. Joe Carlen provides the clients of Russ Weinzimmer & Associates with the "missing link" that helps move them from a great idea to the protection and successful commercialization of intellectual property.

The novel concept that his company uses to help clients of Russ Weinzimmer & Associates was conceived following the success of developing their own invention (called the "Chilly Bone") into a multi-million dollar product line. As a result of their difficulties finding high quality resources to help with licensing, they found a new way to help other inventors. His innovative methods have essentially "re-invented" the invention industry itself. Russell Williams is currently developing the first nationally-recognized marketplace for connecting inventors with companies looking for new products.

Russell Williams holds a Master of Science degree in Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University. He has over sixteen years of relevant business and marketing experience, including eight years with a $40 billion Fortune 100 Company in various senior marketing and management roles. He is an inventor with multiple patents (pending), and is an avid believer in creative thinking and product innovation.

Mike Hallock is ideally suited to explain to our clients how "patent pending" inventions and patented products are successfully marketed through the synergy of technology, communication, and innovation.

Mike Hallock completed undergraduate work in Communication at the University of Florida, and holds a Masters Degree from the University of Pittsburgh with dual emphasis in Business Writing and Communication. His professional background includes 15 years in the field of educational technology, bringing premier website management systems to the classroom on behalf of a "top-ten" educational technology firm. Mike now puts this experience to work for the clients of Russ Weinzimmer & Associates, showing them how to maximize presentaton impact through cutting-edge web-based marketing strategies. This helps our clients to reach their goal of licensing their invention to one or more companies.

Tamara Fredrikson develops a wide variety of custom web, software, and database applications for our clients. Projects range from relatively simple websites and shopping carts, to complex internal databases and high volume E-Commerce systems. Tamara helps inventors and start-ups to use the promotional power of the web, and to leverage the tremendous benefits of modern database technology. For example, she develops online consumer surveys to better understand market preferences, thereby saving thousands in R&D expense.

In addition, Tamara's skills and experience enable her to "productize" almost any software and/or database and/or web concept in a cost-effective manner, for both consumer and enterprise applications. Thus, Tamara Fredrikson enables Strategic Patent Law to provide its clients with cutting-edge development expertise of the highest caliber at reasonable rates.

Tamara has over 15 years of intensive software, web, and database development experience. That experience, coupled with her Bachelor's and Master's level coursework in Computer Science, gives her an exceptionally broad and deep understanding of optimal web and database technologies. For almost any development project, Tamara knows exactly what technology will work best, and knows how to bring a project to completion correctly, on time, and on budget. Tamara Fredrikson's prestigious client roster includes Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Wells Fargo, and other high-profile businesses, as well as individual inventors/entrepreneurs. Her versatility, skill, and professionalism are second to none.

Joseph Aufiero graduated from Cooper Union with a B.S. in Engineering, where he studied a wide range of disciplines. He is knowledgeable in applied mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, organic chemistry, signal processing, electronics, control theory, and engineering design. Having worked closely with medical doctors in both research and clinical settings, Joseph is particularly well-suited to deal with inventions relating to health sciences and technology.

Joseph received his J.D. from Yeshiva University, emphasizing Intellectual Property and Patent Law. He also served as an Associate Editor of the Cardozo Law Review. As a Paramedic in New York City, Joseph has shown a dedication to helping others in various critical situations, and he brings this background and experience to our clients when preparing patent applications. Joseph is currently registered to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office as a Patent Agent.

Leon Fortin Jr is an award-winning technologist with more than 20 years of high-technology industry experience managing international technology development and operations. With his sound knowledge of technology and business success, Leon brings a uniquely valuable perspective to Russ Weinzimmer & Associates.

Leon Fortins experience with Intellectual Property includes preparing and filing patent applications in a diverse range of technologies. Additionally, Leon Fortin has 12 years of experience leading and managing patent programs. His emphasis includes robust invention disclosure development, encouraging participation in the patent process, and early involvement of patent professionals in the technology development cycle. While managing complex international programs involving customers, vendors, and partners, Leon Fortin refined his skills for ensuring secure transfer of intellectual property among parties.

Leon Fortin has drafted patent applications relating to a wide variety of technologies including: electronic medical devices, therapeutic medical devices, sports mobility equipment, physical disability assistance technology, computer user interfaces, molded plastic consumer items, internet communication software, business information collaboration software, window fixtures, fashion articles, interior floor covering, and commercial kitchen equipment. Leon earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University in 1981.

Bob Stepha is currently engaged in the preparation of complex patent applications as a Technology Specialist with the firm. Bob Stepha has unique technical qualifications, including more than a decade of integrated circuit (IC) design and fabrication experience, in addition to over ten years of software engineering and computer science experience. Bob Stepha has a BA in Physics, and a Masters in Electrical Engineering, with additional graduate work in Materials Science.

In chip design, Bob Stepha has extensive experience in all phases of chip design and development, including circuit design, logic design, systems architecture, system simulation, high level design specification, high-level and low-level logic modeling, library development, CAD tool development, CAD process flow, circuit timing optimization, power modeling, device simulation, device layout, device modeling, statistical yield analysis, and fabrication.

In software engineering, Bob Stepha has extensive experience in software development, with application to a wide variety of problem domains including numerical methods, user interface design, graphics, language design, real-time simulation, analog signal processing, digital signal processing (DSP), machine learning, neural networks, data modeling, data interpretation, and statistical analysis.

For more information on Bob Stepha, click here.