Leonard counsels clients in intellectual property with an emphasis on procurement of domestic and foreign patent, trademark, and copyright protection. In this effort, Leonard represents national and international clients across a broad technology spectrum.

Patents, Trademarks, and Licensing

Patents - Focused on patent prosecution, infringement and validity analyses including re-examinations, and intellectual property portfolio analyses. Leonard counsels clients with respect to patent procurement strategies, analyses of patents including offensive and defensive strategies, and analyses of potential patent acquisition targets. Leonard has drafted and prosecuted numerous patent applications. He routinely manages patent procurement activities and supervises attorneys in their drafting and prosecuting efforts. Leonard also manages patent project activities according to clients’ expectations which may lead to litigation or cross-licensing.

Leonard has significant expertise in procuring patents commensurate with clients’ budgetary requirements. In addition, Leonard has aided clients in implementing their in-house patent procurement strategies. His efforts have included facilitating the identification of technologies for patenting, educating inventors/employees on the patent procurement process; and developing short-term and long-term patent strategies for increasing patent portfolios.

Trademarks - Focused on trademark preparation, filing, and prosecution. Leonard counsels clients with respect to trademark procurement and protection, including developing registration strategies such as following the Madrid protocol. He has drafted and prosecuted numerous trademark applications. Leonard also counsels and represents clients regarding oppositions, cancellations, interferences, and concurrent use proceedings and strategies.

Licensing - Leonard has worked on a variety of licenses that involve protecting clients’ intellectual property. Leonard has negotiated technology agreements and worked on cross-licensing arrangements.

Engineering and International Experience

Prior to joining SHB, Leonard worked for Bell Laboratories and later Lucent Technologies. Leonard has over 19 years of engineering experience in the domestic and international markets in wireline and wireless telecommunications systems design, development, test and delivery; software design, integration, and systems testing; technical product marketing; and contract development, negotiation, and execution. Leonard has worked extensively in the international market in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. He speaks Spanish, and is knowledgeable of French and Portuguese.

Civic Involvement

Leonard is an active member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity devoting his time to service to the community, promoting the organization’s scholarship programs, and mentoring youth. Each year, he coordinates, locally, the organization’s scholarship fundraiser event which has approximately 1000 attendees. Leonard also works with and participates in the Intellectual Property sections of the AIPLA, ABA, and the Georgia bar.

Leonard is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

Leonard is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted to the state bars of Georgia, Kansas, and Missouri. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts of Kansas and the Northern District of Georgia.

1994   J.D., Loyola University Chicago

1984   M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology (Electrical Engineering)

1983   B.S.E.E., Georgia Institute of Technology