Phillip Pippenger: Technology and IP Law Professional

Posted by phillippippenger on March 2nd, 2015

Phillip Pippenger, U.S. intellectual property attorney, is a legal professional who specializes in helping clients protect their innovations. As a Partner at Chicago-based Miller, Matthias & Hull, Pippenger brings experience with a range of industries and technologies to his client interactions. His training, knowledge and experience all contribute to his clients’ successful protection of their commercial innovations.  For example, patent holders often need guidance and assistance in maximizing the value of their existing portfolio, and Pippenger, a trained engineer and attorney, is able to understand their technology and guide them through the process.

Pippenger’s technological background and his focus on emerging technologies have allowed him to bring an unrivaled level of expertise to his client services. From a legal standpoint, this means that he helps clarify and distinguish different technologies, however complex they may be. And this clarification brings a level of protection and peace of mind that his clients need to ensure continued success.

Education

Pippenger earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from Caltech in 1992 (B.S.E.E. 1992, California Institute of Technology). Electrical engineering encompasses important aspects of most modern products, tools, and systems – from circuit design to nano electronics, from software to the computer system that it runs on. This type of understanding directly contributes to Pippenger’s understanding of his clients’ and their competitors’ innovations. With this understanding comes an ability to assist his clients in generating and maximizing the value of innovative products, systems and services.

Pippenger also earned a second Bachelor’s degree, a B.S. in Physics, from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 1993. The Physics degree deepened his understanding of the critical principles beneath the surface of technology. The formulae and theories that lead to the development of tech first begin within the realm of physics, and at bottom, everything is physics. This training cemented Pippenger’s understanding of the fundamental factors driving innovation and technology forward.

Pippenger finished his technical education with a Master of Science degree at Rice University in 1995 (PhD track, thesis Masters). As he refined his knowledge and some of his own innovations, Pippenger began to focus on the commercial importance of protecting ideas to prevent exploitation and theft. It was during this time that Pippenger developed an interest in pursuing legal education – particularly in reference to technology and development. With his understanding of industry and technology, Pippenger knew he would be able to effectively inform and protect clients.

Pippenger earned his J.D. from Cornell University in 1998, graduating with honors, and has been serving clients at the intersection of law and technology ever since.  Over the years, Phillip Pippenger has seen almost every situation that can arise with respect to client technology and innovation, and has learned how to deal with each.  While cutting edge client technology can and should be surprising, clients shouldn’t find any hidden surprises in the law, and Phillip Pippenger applies his background and experience to ensure that his clients are in the driver’s seat and that their goals are met or exceeded.

Miller, Matthias & Hull

Phillip Pippenger left partnership in a large Chicago law firm to join the team at Miller, Matthias & Hull (MMH) in order to better defend, protect and direct his clients’ innovation generation efforts.

MMH includes four partners and about 20 professionals overall, each with various areas and degrees of specialization, including the following:

• Patent Conversion

Prior to a patent, an idea is exactly that – just an idea. Without the proper legal measures, an idea remains in that risky gray area. If another party takes an idea and patents it, the originator could lose out on the marketability of an idea, or even the ability to use the idea at all. Phillip Pippenger works with clients to help them recognize, categorize and protect their innovation.

Patents are used in both offensive and defensive situations, in many cases to help improve and build a company image or to improve a business’s strategy and potential. Patenting ideas is an important process for the protection of intellectual property. This helps prevent other parties from making, selling or using protected ideas in the U.S. for up to 20 years from the patent filing date.

While not every invention is the equivalent of Thomas Edison’s light bulb or the Wright Brothers’ airplane, patents have been awarded for all sorts of inventions and ideas. This includes manufactured items, machines, software and hardware, matter compositions and all sorts of methods and processes. Certain methods used in business may also be awarded patents depending on their individual technical details. The folks at MMH work to protect these assets for their clients.

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• Design Patents

The professionals at MMH work every day to protect clients from the unauthorized use of design ideas as well. The organization’s professionals carry a high level of expertise in drafting the design patent applications that protect clients’ design ideas to prevent them from being taken by competing firms or other parties.

Design patent protection helps distinguish an idea based on its appearance through illustrations, diagrams and other information submitted to the patent office. This step remains a critical component of an effective design patent application, and the MMH professionals work with patent illustrators to help create specific, visual depictions of ideas. This keeps ideas protected, cements their concrete application and keeps patent holders competitive in their respective industries.

Examples of IP and designs that have been successfully patented by the firm include appliances, software, industrial processes, chemicals and additives, automotive equipment, industrial supplies, HVAC equipment and compressors, furniture, slot machines and even toys.

• Trademarks

Branding and logo development are critical components to successful business operations today. A name, logo or brand can be just as important in the business world today as the product itself. The value of logos increases as a company grows. This is why it is so critical that clients keep their trademarks and marketing materials protected.

The MMH professionals that specialize in Trademark law enjoy helping clients in all aspects of trademark development and defense. MMH trademark experts work to give clients what they need in the initial stages of trademark identification and development, and then assist clients at every stage of the IP process, from application and registration to trademark policing and enforcement.

Another important consideration relates to the continued registration of trademarks throughout the life of a company’s brand. Unlike patents, trademarks can be renewed, so it’s important to have a system in place for continued renewal and protection of these trademarks. Attorneys with the firm keep a docket of important dates for the client and work with trademark offices and offer counsel in all related matters.

• Valuations

Keeping IP protected isn’t just a side concern. Businesses need to keep their intellectual property rights protected to remain competitive. Without a plan in place, a business could risk losing the unique value of their ideas and innovations, and with it, their very ability to effectively compete. As such, valuation is a significant component of Phillip Pippenger’s client services.

Valuation is more than patent defense for active litigation. In fact, in many cases patent portfolios are generated and maintained without any intent of offensively litigating, but rather to protect businesses from possible litigation against them.

Attorneys with MMH help clients recognize this aspect and other aspects of the commercial and competitive value of intangible assets and patents. This protective measure helps in matters of licensing and collateral, and can be a critical factor in investment as well as mergers and acquisitions.

• Opinions and Counseling

Phillip Pippenger works directly with clients to understand their team, brand, ideas and goals for continued operational success and growth.

As part of providing effective counsel, an attorney must understand what clients’ competitors may be doing commercially and what intellectual property the competitors may have in place. His ability to access and understand this data allows Phillip Pippenger not only to steer his clients clear of legal minefields, but also makes it easier for Pippenger to assist his clients with innovation development and capture processes. The direct experience he brings through his education and legal career allow him to expertly assist his clients. He wants his clients to maximize their commercial opportunities, and his focus in that equation is to make sure his clients have and follow an effective IP strategy.

• Protection Beyond the U.S.

For companies with an international reach, whether based domestically or elsewhere, protecting assets and patents is a more complicated but imminently solvable issue. Many domestic companies are expanding operations to areas outside of the United States, and many international companies are working to export their goods to the U.S. As a result, many clients request assistance in determining an effective international IP protection strategy.

Partnering with some of the most well-known international law firms, MMH gives its clients access to critical IP services all over the globe, whether they have an IP issue in Chile, China, or right here at home. MMH works directly with non-U.S. companies to provide clients the services they need for international success.

Looking to the Future

As the business world continues its inevitable evolution, many companies find themselves struggling to keep up. It’s within this particular niche that MMH can truly help their clients. The professionals at MMH dedicate the time and energy to stay legally, technically, and commercially current so they can actively make the law work for their clients, rather than settle for merely solving legal hurdles as they arise. Phillip Pippenger is proud to be part of MMH and to see his clients attain and maintain high levels of commercial success and effective innovation.