J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law
Ph.D., Computational Materials Chemistry – Georgia Institute of Technology
B.Sc., Chemistry and Mathematics – The University of the South
Georgia, Court of Appeals of Georgia, Supreme Court of Georgia, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Certified Licensing Professional
Registered Patent Attorney
Georgia Bar: Member, IP Section Member, Privacy and Technology Law Section Member
Atlanta Bar: Member, IP Section Member
Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM): Member,
American Bar Association (ABA): Member, IP Section Member, Science and Technology Law Section Member
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA): Member
Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA): Founder, Board Member (Venture Capital)
Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience: Venture Mentor
Licensing Executives Society (LES): Member
NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies, Commercialization Advisory Board, Member
Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance, Board of Directors, Member
Startup Runway Foundation, Board of Directors, Member
PhD Dissertation: Minimalistic Descriptions of Nondynamical Electron Correlation: From Bond-Breaking to Transition-Metal Catalysis
Undergraduate Thesis (Chemistry): Toward Understanding the Effects of Ion Coordination on the Local Dynamics of a Low Molecular Weight PEO
Undergraduate Thesis (Math): Critical Probabilities for Percolation on 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional Dynamic Lattices
After spending several years practicing in traditional law firms, John knew there had to be a better way to serve innovators and companies at every stage of development.
John founded Innovators Legal on the vision of developing responsive, long-lasting relationships with clients by integrating fully with their teams to allow for deep technical and business understanding. John’s interest in providing innovative solutions to his clients’ unique needs is made possible at Innovators Legal through the practical flexibility of a small firm, his investment in cutting-edge technology and excellent paralegal support, and his intentional hiring of practitioners with experience and skills beyond legal practice.
John’s background is diverse: he has experience running in-house IP operations and diligence efforts for venture capital and private equity groups investing in technology companies; running industry-sponsored research labs; teaching at leading research universities; working in early-stage startups and university tech-transfer offices; and managing and prosecuting complex patent portfolios. A PhD physical organic chemist and Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) as well as registered patent attorney, he can offer multi-dimensional legal, technical, and business perspective to clients seeking high-caliber legal and IP support that reflects an understanding of their technology and business.
John’s broad scientific background extends from mathematics and computer science to chemistry and material science. He has worked on and managed federally-sponsored and industry-sponsored research programs covering technologies ranging from homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis to materials development for organic electronics applications (including organic light-emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, and organic thin-film transistors)and computational methods and software development for electronic structure computations. John has several years of both Linux and Windows computer system administration experience, is proficient in multiple programming languages, and is experienced in high-performance computing administration.
John is an accomplished researcher, author, and educator. John is an Adjunct Faculty at Wake Forest University School of Law, where he develops and teaches courses on intellectual property and business. Previously, John was on the faculty at Georgia Tech for five years where he worked jointly between the institute’s Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology and Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics to develop and lecture courses on organic electronics and mentor numerous undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers on industry-sponsored research programs in organic electronic materials.
John has authored or co-authored dozens of legal and technical publications, including publications in Journal of the American Chemical Society, Organic Electronics, Advanced Functional Materials, and Nature Communications as well as a book chapter in Organic Solar Cells: Fundamentals, Devices, and Upscaling published by Pan Stanford Publishing in 2014. John is also a contributor to The Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law. In addition to his publication list, John has presented at a variety of national and international conferences and meetings, including national meetings of the American Chemical Society and the American Physical Society, the International Symposium on Functional π-Electron Systems, the European Conference on Molecular Electronics, and Gordon Research Conferences.
John continues to work with many university clients and understands the complex needs and demands of university technology transfer and licensing. He has years of experience leading academic research programs and working in university technology-transfer. John is active in the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and frequently presents to university technology-transfer groups and at regional and national AUTM meetings.
John has drafted hundreds of patent applications covering biotechnology, chemistry, pharmaceutical, polymer science, materials science, nanotechnology, medical device, electronic device, and computer science innovations. John drafts and prosecutes U.S. patent applications, corresponds with foreign associates to guide the prosecution of foreign applications, provides strategic portfolio management to both U.S. and foreign clients, and develops patentability/FTO opinions.
Principal and Director of Intellectual Property (retained)- Anzu Partners
Adjunct Faculty – Wake Forest University School of Law
Attorney – Thomas Horstemeyer
Commercialization/Business Development – Wake Forest Innovations
Scientific Advisor – Pabst Patent Group
Research Faculty – Georgia Institute of Technology
1266 West Paces Ferry Road NW #609
Atlanta, GA 30327
Phone: 404.965.4064
Fax: 866.533.7086
Email: info@innovators.legal
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
© 2020-2022 The Sears Group, LLC