Robert H. Walat

Rob Walat chairs the firm's Chemical and Materials Technologies Group. Rob works with clients ranging in size from start-up companies to large global corporations on domestic and international patent issues. His practice focuses on competitive analysis, counseling and patent portfolio development. He is particularly experienced in areas of patent prosecution, due diligence, opinion work, foreign patent oppositions and patent litigation support.

Rob's work primarily relates to materials and chemical technologies including polymeric materials, semiconductors and ceramics. Rob's technical expertise also includes areas of nanotechnology, electrochemical devices and solid-state lighting. 

• Developed patent portfolios and strategies for numerous early-stage companies. Current clients have raised over $500 million in funding from venture capital firms and other funding sources.
• Guided successful defenses of a client's key patents which were challenged by a competitor. Counseled on related offensive strategy.
• Served as advisor to investors on IP strengths and risks associated with start-up companies in which they may invest.
• Developed and managed patent portfolio of over 150 patents/applications for a world market leader who licensed the portfolio broadly to the industry thereby generating significant revenue.

Prior to joining the firm, Rob was a materials scientist at a start-up company working in the field of polymeric materials, where he was a contributing inventor on several pending patents. He also worked as a semiconductor process engineer at Intel Corporation.

Boston Patent Law Association

MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge

• Committee member

Rob has been repeatedly named to the Massachusetts Rising Stars list for his work in the field of intellectual property law.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Materials Science and Engineering

Stanford University, M.S., Materials Science and Engineering

Suffolk University Law School, J.D.

Massachusetts

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

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