Jeff Whittle provides over 30 years of legal experience to clients in the energy and high-tech industries. He serves as Head of Womble Bond Dickinson's Global Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector, bringing extensive cross-border energy M&A experience. His global transactional practice encompasses strategic complex technology mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial and licensing arrangements across the energy and technology sectors, with particular focus on technology-intensive transactions requiring multi-jurisdictional coordination, as well as various intellectual property transactional matters. Jeffrey is also a Global Board Member and was Managing Partner of the firm's Houston office.
Jeffrey has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders, IAM Patent 1000 Global Leaders, The Legal 500 United States, WIPR Leaders, and Client Choice, among others, for his outstanding work, career and contributions to law, technology, energy, and intellectual property. Additionally, he was awarded the Texas Trailblazer Award as a Texas Lawyer in 2019 and Best Lawyers in America, Technology, 2020.
In addition to his law firm Global Board and other law firm leadership roles, Jeffrey is a Past President and Chair of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) for the USA and Canada. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Americas Committee for Licensing Executives Society International (LESI). He also was a Past President and Chair of the Certified License Professionals (CLP), a licensing certifying professional society. Jeffrey is a frequent and highly sought-after speaker and author, nationally and internationally, on various corporate/transactional/ technology/ licensing/intellectual property topics.
Jeffrey keeps up with the always changing legal field through memberships and leadership in various legal and professional associations. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Energy Law, Board of Visitors for Wake Forest University School of Law (Executive Committee), and the Advisory Council for the University of Houston Law Center Intellectual Property Institute. He also has served on the IP Law360's Advisory Board, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Technology Review Committee, and the International Advisory Board of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), as well as on boards of various charitable organizations. Jeffrey is also a member of the Texas Bar College and the Texas Bar Foundation (Sustaining Life Fellow).
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Certified Licensing Professional - Board of Governors, 2018 – 2023
- Institute for Energy Law, Advisory Board, 2021-Present
- Licensing Executives Society International, Americas Committee, Co-Chair, 2019 – Present
- Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), International Advisory Board, 2019 – 2020
- Wake Forest University School of Law, Board of Visitors, 2019 – Present
- University of Houston Law Center, Intellectual Property Law Institute, Advisory Council, 2010 – Present
- Licensing Executives Society USA & Canada; Chair and President, 2015 – 2016
- IP Law 360 Advisory Board, 2010
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Technology Review Committee, 2008 – 2009
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Texas Bar College
- Texas Bar Foundation, Sustaining Life Fellow
- Federal Circuit Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association
- Houston Intellectual Property Law Association
- New York Bar Association
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Florida Bar Association
- Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (Senior Fellow)
Thought Leadership
- Co-Author (with Karthika Perumal, Sam Savanich, and Tyler Burdon), "Standing on Solid Ground: Constitutional Standing in Patent Disputes," WBD Client Alert, May 22, 2026
- Co-Author (with Jason Marshall and Kristina Moore), "Full steam ahead: the federal government's focus on cybersecurity regulation and enforcement," Reuters, May 20, 2026
- Co-Author (with Alexandre de Gramont, Adrian Jones, Karthika Perumal, and Jose Luis Vittor), "Force Majeure in the Iran War: The Hidden Traps We Are not Talking About (Yet)," WBD Client Alert, April 13, 2026
- Co-Author (with Samuel Savanich), "USPTO Director Squires Continues Strong Pro-Patent Initiatives: Formation of Standard-Essential Patent Working Group," WBD Client Alert, December 31, 2025
- Co-Author (with Seiko Okada, Karthika Perumal, and Samuel Savanich), “USPTO Suggests Use of Rule 132 Declarations and Updated Examiner Guidelines to Address Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Issues,” WBD Client Alert, December 10, 2025
- Co-Author (with Michael Clark, and Kyle Hawes), "Open for Business: Texas Business Court Exceeds Early Expectations," WBD Client Alert, July 15, 2025
- Co-Author (with Thomas Dougherty), "Fueling America's Nuclear Renaissance: How Trump's Executive Orders Create Strategic Opportunities for the Nuclear Fuel Industry," WBD Client Alert, June 4, 2025
- Co-Author (with Kevin Davis, Barry Herman and Steve Levitan), "Expansion of IP Enforcement by the International Trade Commission," Licensing Executive Society USA & Canada, April 23, 2025
- Quote, "Womble Strengthens Global Reach Through Strategic Alliance in Brazil," March 27, 2025
- Co-Author (with Thomas Dougherty, Dan Joyner and Lisa Rushton), "Going Nuclear: A Sustainable Solution to Rising Energy Demand," January 29, 2025
- Co-author (with John Pueschel, Richard Raleigh, and Lee Van Voorhis), Federal Circuit Strikes Down FTC’s Noncompete Clause Rule, JD Supra, August 2024
- Co-author (with Christe Spiers), Key Investment for a Bridge to a Cleaner Environment, Oilman Magazine, July 2024
- Co-author (with Lisa Rushton and Belton Zeigler), Advance Act Signed, Paving the Way for Advanced Nuclear Innovation in the U.S., JD Supra, July 2024
- Co-author, U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Boost Nuclear Energy Deployment, JD Supra/National Law Review, July 2024
- Co-author (with John Pueschel, Richard Raleigh, and Lee Van Voorhis), “FTC Issues New Rule—But Not the Final Chapter—on Non-Competes: What Employers Need to Know”, Les Nouvelles, June 2024
- Co-author (with Karthika Perumal and Samuel Savanich), Federal Circuit Reversal in Assignment Clause Case Highlights Importance of Contract Language in Intellectual Property Ownership, JD Supra, May 2024
- WBD Energy Survey and the Innovation Interchange: The Energy Transition for Non-Energy Companies, JD Supra, May 2024
- "For All Patent/Trademark Practitioners: USPTO Provides Guidance for Use of AI in Preparing USPTO Submissions," JD Supra/National Law Review, April 2024
- "After Weber v. Provisur, Confidentiality Provisions May Not Be Sufficient to Protect Your Documents from Being Prior Art," (IP Watchdog (March 2024
- "New USPTO Obviousness Guidelines Seek to Refine Examiner Evaluations Likely Making Path to Patent Grant More Difficult and Potentially Opening Door to More Patent Challenges," JD Supra/National Law Review, March 2024
- "USPTO Addresses Ambiguities in Means-Plus-Function, Step-Plus-Function Claims," JD Supra/National Law Review, March 2024
- Co-author (with Lisa Rushton), "Energy Transition Faces Challenges, Will Need Greater Investment," Offshore Magazine, February 13, 2024
- "USPTO’s Latest Policy Upholds Human Inventorship in the AI Era: R&D Insights Across Industries," February 2024
- "USPTO AI Guidance: Human vs. Machine – Humans Win . . . For Now," JD Supra/National Law Review, February 2024
- "Patent Practitioners Take Note: (Even) if You Use AI, Read Before You File", February 2024
- "Survey: Focus Remains on Energy Transition But Challenges Mount," Hart Energy, December 2023
- "Navigating the Global Energy Transition: Integrating Innovation," JD Supra, November 2023
- "Regional Hydrogen Hubs: Developing the Transit for Energy Transition," JD Supra/National Law Review, October 2023
- "Federal Officials Unveil Choices for First Seven Clean Hydrogen Hubs," JD Supra, October 2023
- KSA/Aramco Webinar Series on Cross-Border IP Transactions, September 2023
- "Canada Proposes Patent Term Extension for IP OwnersD," JD Supra/National Law Review, August 2023
- "Carbon Credit Fraud—and How Blockchain Can Be Part of the Solution," Corporate Compliance Insights (CCI), August 2023"
- Co-presenter, "Challenges & Opportunities with Intellectual Property & Technology Innovation in Muslim-Majority Countries,” George Mason University Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy, January 12, 2023
- Co-author, “Op-ed: Is the Jones Act Out of Time?” Oil and Gas Investor, July 8, 2022
- Co-author (with Mike Dow, Jesse Reyes, and Lisa Rushton), “The Greening of America: New Executive Order Aims to Strengthen Advanced Battery Supply Chain,” June 17, 2021
- Co-presenter (with Sanjiv Shah), “Technology Revolution & Investment Toward “Greener” Energy Resourcing,” World IP Forum, May 5, 2021
- Co-presenter (with Ben Bourke and Michael O’Shaughnessy), “Expanding Patent Rights During a Pandemic,” May 7, 2021
- Co-presenter, “Licensing for Success in Global Market Change,” Licensing Executives Society International (LESI)-Brazil and LESI-Americas Conference, August 7, 2020
- Co-author (with Samuel Savanich), “USPTO Makes the Patent “Fast-Track” Faster,” July 6, 2020
- Co-author (with Barry Herman), “IP Enforcement Can Pay Unexpected Dividends in a Downturn,” Law360, April 2020
- Co-author, “Retaining Federal Jurisdiction After Fed. Circ. License Ruling,” Law360, November 2019
- Author, “Walking the Jurisdictional Line: Cashing in on Federal Jurisdiction in Patent Licensing Disputes," October 2019
- Author, “Ostriches Beware: Hiding Head in the Sand Causes Willful Blindness in Patent Infringement,” October 2019
- Author, “Ignoring Patents Not A Willful Infringement Free Pass In EDTX,” Law360, October 2019
- Presenter, “Strategic Intellectual Asset Commercialization," LES South Africa Advanced Licensing Course, October 2019
- Presenter, “Innovation and Technology Collaboration Leading to Commercialization in KSA,” Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, October 2019
- Author, “State Sovereignty 101: State Universities Not Immune to IPR Proceedings,” June 2019
- Presenter, “Collaboration Between Universities and Large Corporations,” Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 2019
- Author, “To tariff or not to tariff,” Intellectual Property Magazine, November 2018
- Featured Speaker, “Monetizing IP in your M&A Transactions,” Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, September 2018
- Author, “Problems with Patents,” Oil & Gas Technology, Autumn 2017
Public Speaking Engagements/Podcasts/Press Interviews
- "Five Point’s Resource-Management Strategy Pays Off," The Wall Street Journal, October 17, 2025
- "Five Point-backed WaterBridge jumps 14% in NYSE debut," Reuters, September 17, 2025
- Selected for Podcast: Energy Sector Heroes (Michelle Fraser/UK), Apple Podcasts/Everand June 2024
- LES CLP Exam Preparation & Review, August 2024
- Examining Houston’s Role in the Energy Transition—Publisher’s Dinner, April 2024; Houston Business Journal, April 2024
- LES Americas/Brazil Conference: Energy Transition Panel, March 2024
- The Mentorship Journey: LES Award-Winning Mentors Share Their Experiences, February 2024
- IAM Global Leaders Interview, November 2023
- KSA/Aramco Webinar Series on Cross-Border IP Transactions September 2023
- “US fast-tracks green tech under new scheme,” World IP Review, June 15, 2022.
- "Jeffrey Whittle on Oil and Gas Industry Leaders Podcast," Oil and Gas Global Network, November 15, 2022
- “DVT Challenges and Ways to Apply the Chatham House Rule,” Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, October 2019
- “Womble Bond Dickinson Opens Office in Houston,” Law360, February 2019
- “Houston Gets Another Law Firm as Womble Bond Dickinson Opens 27th Office,” Texas Lawyer/Law.com, January 2019
- “Another Big Law Firm Sets Up Shop in Houston,” Houston Chronicle/Texas Lawbook, January 2019
Honors & Awards
- Chambers USA Ranked Lawyer, Intellectual Property, Texas, 2009 – Present
- Licensing Executives Society International Peter K. Hess Achievement Award, 2025
- Licensing Executives Society, Faculty Award, 2025
- IAM Global Leaders, IAM Magazine, 2020 – 2022
- The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Technology Law, 2016 – Present; Lawyer of the Year, Technology Law, 2020
- IAM Strategy 350, IAM Magazine, 2021 – 2022
- IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Magazine, 2012 – present
- Lexology Client Choice Award, Intellectual Property—Designs & Trade Secrets, 2021
- IEEE Senior Member, 2020
- Texas Trailblazer Award, Texas Lawyer, 2019
- Frank Barnes Award Winner, Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada, 2019
- WIPR Leaders, World Intellectual Property Review, 2016 – 2020
- Named to Managing Intellectual Property’s list of IP Stars, Patent Star, Trademark Star, 2017 – 2020
- Who's Who Legal, Patents, 2020, 2022
- NC Pro Bono Honor Society, 2023