News
Womble Carlyle attorneys Christopher Bolen, Mary Bourke, Tom Cawley, Lou Isaf, Bill Ragland and Jim Vaughan have been named to Intellectual Asset Management magazine’s IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners for 2016.
The IAM Patent 1000 is an annual guide to the leading patent practitioners in 50 jurisdictions around the globe. Researchers spent five months interviewing patent attorneys and the buyers of their legal services to determine the IAM Patent 1000 for 2016. Ranked attorneys do not pay to be listed in the IAM Patent 1000.
Christopher Bolen is the Co-chair of Womble Carlyle’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, and has more than 25 years of experience in intellectual property matters. Bolen regularly advises technology- and knowledge-based companies on developing and implementing intellectual property strategies. He practices in Womble Carlyle’s Research Triangle Park, N.C. office.
Mary Bourke is a patent litigator in Womble Carlyle’s Wilmington office. For almost thirty years, Bourke has practiced in Delaware and, during that time, she has litigated numerous cases in front of the judges and magistrate judges in the District. Bourke’s practice has particularly focused on litigating patents involving the life sciences.
Tom Cawley’s practice focuses on biotechnology patent prosecution, opinion work, and client counseling, including the design and implementation of global intellectual property strategies. Dr. Cawley has particular experience in IP issues involving the life sciences. He practices in Womble Carlyle’s Tysons Corner, Va. office.
Lou Isaf brings over 30 years of experience as a patent attorney to bear in client representation. His strengths include conducting complex patent portfolio analysis, patent conflict analysis and resolution, and developing strategies both domestically and internationally in the areas of patent procurement and market protection. His experience in mechanical and electro-mechanical technologies, software, telecommunications, and internet has enabled Isaf to serve as a valuable resource to start-up companies and to well-established “high-tech” firms and universities.
Bill Ragland is among Womble Carlyle’s most experienced lead litigators and trial lawyers, with particular experience in patent and intellectual property litigation. He has litigated more than 55 patent infringement and other patent-related cases in his 30-year career. Ragland also provides strategic advice regarding the structure, negotiation and implementation of intellectual property enforcement and licensing programs and portfolio management services. Intellectual Asset Management has also named him as one of the top 300 intellectual property strategists in the world for 2016. Ragland founded the Atlanta Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section and served as its first co-chair, is a past president of the Atlanta Bar Association, and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia.
Jim Vaughan has litigated patent cases since 1983, serving as lead counsel in trials, appeals and in specialty proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Vaughan is the immediate past leader of Womble Carlyle’s Patent and Patent Litigation teams. He concentrates the majority of his practice on working with the business and legal teams of the firm’s major corporate clients, developing business/legal strategies involving patents and patent litigation. His focus is on achieving positive business results that are based upon patent acquisition or litigation, as required. He also continues his interference, reissue, reexamination and patent appellate practices before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
