Tom is a registered patent attorney and a former rocket engine turbomachinery engineer on NASA’s Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). Tom’s experience supporting over 47 successful space shuttle missions led to a position designing the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen turbopumps for the low cost, but more powerful, RS-68 liquid main engine for the Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), which continues to fly critical satellite missions today. Tom’s 12 year engineering career before law school also includes three years designing military gas turbine engine components and natural gas fuel control valves.
As a partner in Neal Gerber Eisenberg's Intellectual Property group, Tom advises large corporations, start-ups and individuals on a wide range of technologies, including rocket engines, jet engines, electromechanical fuel controls, aerial fire-fighting equipment, fire protection garment technologies, electric heaters, healthcare data management technologies, surgical and dental instruments, GPS-based technologies, retail consumer products and product dispensers, restaurant processes, furniture structural supports, UV curing technologies, and numerous web and/or software applications. Tom’s practice includes advising clients on how to protect, enforce, and monetize their intellectual property, and includes providing worldwide patent and trademark procurement and portfolio management, licensing, and merger/acquisition due diligence management services. Tom also handles IP matters in the federal courts, and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
