Overview
Tom is Chair of our Mechanical Engineering Practice Group and has practiced intellectual property law for more than a decade. As a former aerospace engineer at NASA and Northrop Grumman, and with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, he is a trusted IP partner to aerospace and medical technology companies.
Clients rely on Tom to develop and execute IP strategy tailored to specific business goals. He counsels companies on overall IP strategy, performs IP audits, prosecutes patents, develops trade secret protections, conducts pre-litigation enforcement of IP rights, negotiates licenses, and conducts offensive and defensive diligence such as patentability and infringement studies.
Tom has deep experience helping startup clients develop IP assets and defend diligence for financing and M&A activities. Since 2016, he has prosecuted patents and conducted IP diligence in deals cumulatively valued at over $800M, including over $700M for medical device clients and over $100M for aerospace and mechanical clients.
Tom was in the firm’s San Diego office for 10 years and is currently based out of southwest Florida.
Additional highlights include:
- Named to IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists(2019 – 2025) which “identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios”
- Recognized by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM)“Patent 1000 Guide” for Patent Prosecution (2025)
- Speaker, Patent Basics for the Aerospace Industry, SAE International AeroTech Conference (2024)
- Listed in the ATTORNEY intel – “The Top 25 Intellectual Property Attorneys of 2024”
- Recognized in the World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) Leaders Guide of the world’s leading IP practitioners (2024)
- Co-Authored Secrecy Orders for U.S. patent applications — an overview in Westlaw Today (December 2024)
- Named a “Rising Star” for Patent Prosecution and Patent Strategy & Management in the Legal Media Group’s (LMG) “LMG Life Sciences” Guide (2023)
- Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch(2021 – 2024) for Patent Law and Technology Law, which “recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice.”
- Former Mechanical engineer at Northrop Grumman, where he designed and tested complex structures and mechanisms for various spacecraft programs
- Interned at NASA Armstrong Space Center, Aerodynamics Branch, where he analyzed data for the Quiet Supersonic Platform
- Holds a minor in Chinese and studied Chinese language and history at Shaanxi Normal University in Xian, China
Education
- University of Florida Levin College of Law (J.D., 2012), Certificate: Intellectual Property Law; Moot Court: Corporate and Securities Law; President: Intellectual Property and Technology Law Association
- University of Florida (M.S. Biomedical Engineering, 2012), Master's project: Risk of Hypoxia with Medical Air Low Flow Anesthesia
- University of Florida (B.S. Aerospace Engineering, 2005), Magna Cum Laude, Honors thesis: Attitude Dynamics and Orbital Lifetime Analysis of a Pico-Satellite with Deployed Ballute
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Named to IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists (2019 – 2025) which “identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios”
- Recognized for outstanding work in patent law in the Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) “Patent 1000 Guide” for Prosecution (2025)
- Listed in the ATTORNEY intel – “The Top 25 Intellectual Property Attorneys of 2024“
- Recognized in the WIPR Leaders Guide of the world’s leading IP practitioners (2024)
- Named a “Rising Star” for Patent Prosecution and Patent Strategy & Management in the Legal Media Group’s (LMG) “LMG Life Sciences” Guide (2023-2025)
- Shortlisted in the “US Rising Star – Intellectual Property” category in the 2023 LMG Life Sciences Awards Americas
- Named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch guide, which “recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice” for Patent Law and Technology Law (2021 – 2025)
- Named to the IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders Guide (2021 – 2022), which features “leading figures in the IP world drawn from in-house, private practice, service providers and beyond.”
- Recognized by The Legal 500 “United States” for Patent Prosecution (2021, 2025)
- Named as “IP Stars – Notable Practitioner” by Managing Intellectual Property (2020)
- Named as “IP Stars – Rising Star” by Managing Intellectual Property (2018 and 2019)
- Named a “Top Author” by JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards, (2016) due to the high level of visibility and engagement attained with readers in the medical device industry
- Inventor of the “Inflate-A-Brake,” a system for de-orbiting small satellites to reduce space debris
News & Insights
Articles
Quoted in “Nontraditional Investors Unleash Record Funding to Launch Startups, Accelerate New Space Companies,” The Space Report (July 2025)
Secrecy Orders for U.S. patent applications — an overview, Westlaw Today (December 2024)
IP Protection for Diagnostics: The COVID-19 Outlook, Diagnostics World News (February 2021)
Quoted in “Patents & Trade Secrets: Are You Protected?“, Medical Plastics News North America (April/May/June 2020)
Co-author, An Innocent Abroad: A Successful Recovery of Trademark Rights in China, International Bar Association (IBA) Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law Committee Newsletter (May 2018)
Boston Scientific Announces Agreement for Investment & Acquisition Option with Transcatheter Annuloplasty Ring Developer Millipede, Inc., Medical Device Blog (February 2018)
FDA Exempts Numerous Medical Devices from 510(k) Premarket Notification Requirements, Knobbe Martens (August 2017)
Another Patent Law Win for Orange County-Based Masimo Corporation, Orange County Business Journal (November 2016)
Medical Device Outsourcing: Intellectual Property Considerations, Medical Design Briefs (October 1, 2016).
Contributor, 7 Intellectual Property Issues Startup Entrepreneurs Should Not Overlook, JD Supra Legal Perspectives (September 30, 2015).
Collaborative Innovation: intellectual property considerations, International Bar Association: Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Newsletter (June 2016).
“Medical device development and collaboration,” Intellectual Property Magazine (June 9, 2015).
Author, KnobbeMedical.com Blog
- Medical Device Deal Activity Shows Signs of Life for Q3 2024
- Florida Man Makes Medical Device – A Survey of Medtech in the Sunshine State
- Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Device Maker Conformal Medical Raises $35 Million in Oversubscribed Series D Round
- Brain Computer Interface Developer Announces $33M Series A, Granted FDA “Breakthrough” Designation
- USPTO Issues Notice Regarding Patent Examinations and FDA Submissions
- Medical Device Cybersecurity Survey Report Released
- Is Your Funded Medical Device Startup Actually a “Large Entity” According to the USPTO?
- Strategies for Protecting Intellectual Property (IP) on a Reduced Budget
- Trademarks Require “Use in Commerce” – But What If You Need Regulatory Approval Before Selling Your Medical Device?
- FDA Issues Guidance on “Abbreviated” and “Special” 510(K) Pathways
- Cook Medical Petitions for Inter Partes Review (IPR) of Medtronic “Jervis” Patent
- Medical Device Market Returns and Recent Industry Activity
- Boston Scientific Exercises Option to Acquire Transcatheter Annuloplasty Ring Developer Millipede Inc.
- Medical Device Connectivity Market Reported to Top $2.6 Billion by 2023
Author, Fashion & Beauty Blog
Author, Aerospace Blog
Speeches & Seminars
Speaker, Patent Basics for the Aerospace Industry, SAE International AeroTech Conference (2024)
Webinars:
- “Aerospace IP Strategy in View of Recent U.S. Patent Office Updates,” Licensing Executives Society (LES) (January 2026)
- “Patent Basics for the Private Space Industry,” Knobbe Practice Webinar Series (September 2021)
- “Learn to Protect Your IP on a Reduced Budget,” Licensing Executives Society (LES) & United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) (October 2020)
- “Learn to Protect Your IP on a Reduced Budget,” Licensing Executives Society (LES) & United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) (July 2020)
- “Strategies for Protecting Your Company’s Intellectual Property (IP) on a Reduced Budget,” Association for Corporate Counsel (ACC) (May 2020)
- “Protecting Your Company’s IP on a Reduced Budget featuring Tom Cowan,” University Lab Partners (ULP) Webinar (May 2020)
Keynote Speaker, “Patent Basics for the Aerospace Industry” Space Foundation Space Commerce Workshop at Aerospace Corp. (February 2019)
Presenter, “Developing and Enforcing Your Company’s IP Rights in China (PRC),” Knobbe Martens Webinar (December 2018)
Presenter, “Intro to IP: Part 2: Some Basics of Patents,” Knobbe Martens seminar, San Diego, CA (October 2016)
Presenter, “Intro to IP: Basics of Patents, Trademarks and Trade Secrets,” Knobbe Martens seminar, San Diego, CA (July 2016)
