Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed taking things apart to find out how they work.  While this “skill” might have been annoying to my mom when it came time to vacuum, it’s a great asset to inventors who need someone to figuratively tear their idea apart and put it into words that the patent office understands – something I also knows a lot about, since I previously worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.  For over 25 years, I have been helping entrepreneurs and businesses protect their inventions, ideas and identities through patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and related contracts, licenses and agreements.   

Occasionally when I take something apart and put it back together, there are parts left over – something I like to refer to as “improvements.”  While some may consider this claim dubious – particularly when the “improvement” I made to my bicycle after a cycling trip to France resulted in me being launched over the handlebars on my first ride back in the States –  I am constantly improving the intellectual property portfolios of my clients, bringing value to their ideas.  I have obtained hundreds of patents for inventors in a variety of fields, including timing systems, mine safety devices, broadband antennas, RFID, electronics, ranging, oil & gas, semiconductors, medical devices and other mechanical and electro-mechanical devices.  I have also worked with clients to acquire, protect and enforce their rights to valuable trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. 

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University – Boiler Up!, and a J.D. from Catholic University Columbus School of Law School in Washington, D.C.  After working for large law firms in Texas, my fierce independence got the better of me and I decided to return to my Midwestern roots where I founded Martin IP Solutions.

When I’m not working with inventors and entrepreneurs, my three daughters keep me busy with all of their activities - cross-country, gymnastics, basketball, softball, piano, violin ….  When I find a few minutes to myself, I enjoy cycling, golf, watching sports (college basketball & football, St. Louis Cardinals baseball) and craft beer (drinking and brewing).