Tom Cowan

Tom is a senior associate in the San Diego office.  His practice focuses on IP protection for a variety of technologies, including mobile devices, software, imaging, medical devices, mechanical and aerospace technologies.  Serving clients worldwide – including the U.S., Europe and Asia – he counsels on overall IP strategy, prosecutes patents and trademarks, negotiates licenses, and conducts offensive and defensive diligence such as patentability and infringement studies.

Tom develops and executes worldwide patent and trademark protection strategies for a broad range of clients, from solo inventors, startups and small businesses to mid-size and large corporations.  Example particular technologies include mobile device displays, software, imaging, medical devices and procedures including cardiac annuloplasty devices, transcatheter implants and intracranial devices, upper and lower limb prosthetics and orthotics, mechatronic control systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), automotive systems, industrial thermal and destratification systems, semiconductor processing equipment and more (see Additional Information for additional sample technologies).

Tom is currently Co-Chair of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) for San Diego and was named a “Top Author” in JD Supra’s 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards due to the high level of visibility and engagement he attained with readers in the medical device industry.  Before attending law school, Tom interned at NASA and was a mechanical engineer at Northrop Grumman, where he designed and tested complex structures and mechanisms for various spacecraft programs.  He also has a minor in Chinese and studied Chinese language and history at Shaanxi Normal University in Xian, China.