DRAFTING DEPARTMENT - Key Persons
Al Fasulo joined Edell, Shapiro & Finnan in 2013 and has been a Member of the firm since 2020. Al has been practicing intellectual property law since 1997. With degrees in physics, computer science, and related practical work experience, Al focuses his practice on patent portfolio development, portfolio management, counseling, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, and infringement analysis and opinions, and related matters.
David Zuckerman joined Edell, Shapiro & Finnan in 2016, and has been practicing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 2014. With a degree in physics and related practical work experience, David focuses his practice on patent portfolio development, management, and counseling. His practice also encompasses post-grant proceedings before the USPTO.
Geoff Trotter joined Edell, Shapiro & Finnan in 2013 as a patent agent, and has been in the intellectual property industry since 2005. With degrees in applied physics, Geoff focuses his practice on patent drafting and prosecution, with additional experience in patent searching and freedom to operate studies.
Howard Richman joined ESF in 2002 and has been involved in the patent field since 1991. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering and related practical work experience, Howard's practice focuses on the mechanical and electro-mechanical fields. Howard has handled thousands of patent applications and his experience includes:
Counseling and working for one of the largest toy companies in the world since 1997, with a focus on freedom to operate and patentability issues for consumer products;
Numerous years of counseling and working with one of the largest welding and cutting companies in the world, with a focus on managing and improving its worldwide patent and trademark portfolio;
Significant academic and work experience in the areas of fluid dynamics, gas turbines, pumps, compressors, internal combustion engines, consumer products, and automotive components;
Worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a U.S. Patent Examiner in the specialty areas of pumps, internal combustion engines, jet engines, and rockets;
Automotive-related experience in the electrical (plastic) connector field for a large Japanese manufacturer;
Sporting goods; and
Industrial control systems.
Howard specializes in counseling both large and small corporate clients regarding all aspects of patent legal matters, including patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio management and filing strategies, FTO issues, post-issuance procedures, licensing, and enforcement. Howard also has significant experience in providing patent-related due diligence services in connection with licensing, mergers, and acquisitions. Finally, Howard also has broad experience in negotiating and preparing patent licensing agreements, and enforcing patent rights through, and defending clients in, patent litigation including conducting pre-litigation due diligence, drafting complaints and answers, preparing claim construction contentions and briefs, handling discovery matters, and negotiating settlements.
Prior to joining ESF, Howard practiced patent law at two large, well-respected, law firms and worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Howard started at the USPTO as a Patent Examiner and then joined the Office of Legislative and International Affairs as an Attorney-Advisor to the Commissioner of Patents. After leaving the USPTO, Howard joined the Intellectual Property practice group at a large international law firm. In 1999, Howard was one of a handful of select attorneys that started and quickly solidified a well-known Silicon Valley law firm's patent presence on the East coast.
When not fully immersed in the practice of IP law, Howard enjoys spending time on the water, watching sports, and tinkering with classic cars.
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, Cum Laude
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, Cum Laude
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Founding Partner of ESF
Ira Edell is a founding partner of ESF and has been involved in the intellectual property field since 1964. His degree in Electrical Engineering and years of practicing related engineering enables Ira to apply his diverse work experience to counseling clients on a wide range of IP matters, representing clients in developing and implementing domestic and foreign patent and trademark application prosecution strategies and portfolio management, conducting freedom-to-operate analyses of product designs, preparing invalidity and non-infringement opinions, performing IP due diligence for mergers, acquisitions and IPOs, and negotiating and drafting IP agreements and licenses.
James "Jay" Mayfield joined Edell, Shapiro & Finnan in 2017. Jay has a degree in Civil Engineering and worked in the field while receiving his higher education. Jay also has extensive experience with computer science and information technology. His practice experience includes the preparation of patent applications, patent prosecution, and freedom-to-operate analyses.
Jason Shapiro has been working in the intellectual property field since 1991, joining the firm as a partner in 2016. Recognized as one of the world's top patent professionals in the Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Patent 1000, Jason counsels clients on all aspects of intellectual property law with a special emphasis on post-grant proceedings, complex prosecution matters, non-infringement and invalidity opinions, and technology transactions, including intellectual property rights in government contracts.
Jason has extensive experience handling a wide variety of technologies, including:
medical devices
laboratory equipment
optical systems
sensors and instrumentation
automotive components
farm equipment
exercise equipment
welding and plasma cutting systems
computer hardware and software
semiconductor fabrication processes and equipment
electronic circuitry and devices
wireless and network communications
antennas and RF signal processing
insurance and financial systems
Jason began his intellectual property career at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) as a patent advisor, during which time he also received patent examiner training at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. After law school, Jason spent five years as in-house patent counsel at Northrop Grumman Corporation and ten years as a partner at an IP boutique in Washington, DC, where he was involved in patent prosecution and litigation, post-grant proceedings, non-infringement and invalidity opinion writing, and intellectual property transactions.
Jason has been actively involved in AIA post-grant proceedings since they were first introduced. As lead counsel, he has been particularly successful in petitioning for inter partes review of patents asserted against clients in related district court litigations and defending against institution for patent owners. Post-grant proceedings representative of Jason's experience include Post Grant Review No. PGR2020-00051, Inter Partes Review Nos. IPR2020-00033, IPR2020-00034, IPR2020-00036, IPR2020-00037, IPR2019-00944, IPR2019-00945, IPR2019-00946, IPR2019-00947, IPR2018-01455, IPR2018-01451, IPR2018-01456, IPR2018-01461, IPR2018-01463, IPR2018-01457, IPR2018-01462, IPR2015-01659, IPR2015-01653, IPR2014-01405, IPR2014-01396, IPR2014-01386, IPR2014-01343, IPR2014-01342, IPR2014-01302, IPR2014-00205, IPR2014-00204, IPR2014-00098, Covered Business Method Review No. CBM2012-0001, and Ex Parte Reexamination Nos. 90/010,849, and 90/008,845.
Prior to entering the legal profession, Jason worked as a researcher in the field of experimental hydrodynamics and as a project engineer building mechanical prototypes. His graduate research involved use of interferometric techniques in the field of experimental mechanics.
In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time with family and friends, biking, hiking, and playing guitar.
Education
JD, University of Baltimore. cum laude
M.S. - Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University
B.S. - Engineering Mechanics, The Johns Hopkins University
Lawrence Eisen joined Edell, Shapiro & Finnan in 2007, has been a Member of the firm since 2009, and has been practicing intellectual property law since 1995. With a degree in electrical engineering and related practical work experience, Lawrence focuses his practice on patent portfolio development, portfolio management, counseling, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, and infringement opinions, and related matters. Lawrence's advocacy has resulted in multiple successful outcomes before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Lawrence heads the firm's human resources department and serves on the firm's diversity committee.