Michael Whitham "Mike"
Michael E. Whitham is a principal in the firm. He has represented individuals, non-profit organizations, start up companies, small companies, Fortune 500 companies, and foreign companies on intellectual property matters over a twenty year career.
Mr. Whitham has helped craft license agreements involving patented technologies, copyrighted works, natural products, and technologies protected by trade secret. Mr. Whitham’s practice includes the preparation and enforcement of a wide variety of contracts required by today’s technology companies including but not limited to confidentiality agreements, supply agreements, joint development agreements, materials transfer agreements, trademark licensing agreements, copyright licensing agreements, and agreements involving employees and consultants. Mr. Whitham has prosecuted and defended patent, trademark, and copyright infringement actions, as well as actions involving theft of trade secrets in Federal District Courts and has represented clients in Appeals to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Federal Circuit.
The firm and its predecessors averages 200-400 issued patents per year, and Mr. Whitham has worked on patent matters involving a wide range of technology including genetics, medicine, mechanical and electrical devices, and computer technologies. Mr. Whitham assists clients in developing strategies for identifying and acquiring proprietary rights, and for avoiding the patent positions of competitors.
Mr. Whitham has been a frequent lecturer on topics such as performing technology audits, pitfalls in royalty stacking issues, best practices in licensing, and patent prosecution. Mr. Whitham has undergraduate and graduate degrees in biochemistry and chemistry, respectively, and received his law degree, with distinction from George Mason University in 1990.
Robert N. Cook "Bob"
Robert N. Cook is a principal in the firm. Bob provides representation in litigation and licensing matters involving intellectual property and antitrust, plus related areas of commercial litigation.
Bob has handled a broad range of intellectual property litigation and licensing issues relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and confidentiality agreements. Bob has also represented numerous clients on antitrust issues arising in connection with intellectual property licensing, joint ventures, distribution arrangements, and industry standards-setting activities. Bob is well-versed in Federal court practice and procedure and has practiced before various Federal courts, including, but not limited to, the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Northern District of Illinois. In agency practice, Bob has assisted numerous technology firms involved in antitrust and premerger review inquiries by Federal agencies. Bob was invited to participate as a panelist in hearings jointly held by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice in 2002 on “Competition and Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the Knowledge-Based Economy.” From 1990 to 1999, Bob served the public as an attorney in the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission, where he was responsible for a broad range of antitrust merger and conduct investigations.
Bob is a member of the District of Columbia and Virginia bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, and the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. Bob holds a Juris Doctor degree from the George Mason University School of Law (1990) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Johns Hopkins University (1979). Prior to law school, Bob covered computers, telecommunications, and marketing for several publications.
Whitney C. Fields
Whitney Fields is a Principal in the firm. Her scientific expertise includes the areas of biochemistry, molecular biology, virology, and genetics. Her doctoral research involved mutagenesis studies to identify the viral determinants of pH regulation during the alphavirus lifecycle.
Dr. Fields earned her JD from George Mason University, a PhD in Cell Biology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Fields has extensive research experience in both academic and industry settings. She is a member of the Virginia bar and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Walter Richardson
Walter W. Richardson is an associate in the firm. Walter has experience with licensing and litigation for various intellectual property matters and with preparing and filing trademark and copyright applications.
He also manages patent prosecution matters and coordinates domestic and international patent filings for the firm. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Christopher Newport University in 2012 and his Juris Doctor from George Mason University in 2017.
T. Bryce Miller
Bryce Miller is an engineer and Registered Attorney of the firm. His background includes the electrical, mechanical, and biological underpinnings pertaining to medical devices and biomedical engineering applications. His studies included a particular focus on electrical engineering and bioelectrical devices.
Mr. Miller received the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated with honors in 2012. His experience includes considerable time working in both academic and professional capacities abroad in Germany. He is a member of the Virginia bar and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Larry Stein
Laurence Stein is an attorney with the firm and is registered to practice with the USPTO. “Larry” obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and has expertise in both electrical and mechanical engineering, and he has worked on matters involving wireless and telephone technology. Larry has previously worked at large law firms on patent litigation matters, and has worked with the US Government.