Meet the Attorney Behind Cognivito

I've spent my career at the crossroads of two things I genuinely love: innovation and the real-world people who make it happen.

My path into intellectual property started in 2001 at Intel, working in the corporate licensing group. It was one of those experiences that quietly rewires your brain. Every day, I had a front-row seat to how new technology moves from "this might work" to "this changes everything," and I watched the behind-the-scenes systems that help protect it, license it, and turn it into something valuable. That's where I first fell in love with the world of invention, not just the flashy product launches, but the strategy, the relationships, and the careful thinking that keeps innovation moving forward.

After Intel, I knew I wanted to build a career centered on technology and problem-solving. I made the decision to become a patent attorney, and I also went back and earned a computer science degree so I could genuinely understand the kinds of technologies my clients were building. That technical foundation has shaped the way I work ever since. I don't just "handle patent paperwork." I like getting into the details, understanding how something works, why it is different, and how to explain it clearly enough that it becomes protectable.

For more than 15 years after that, I ran my own private practice in Corvallis, Oregon, where I worked closely with small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and startups. That chapter of my career was especially meaningful because it was intensely hands-on. I wasn't a distant advisor. I was in the trenches with people building real things on real budgets, juggling deadlines, investors, prototypes, manufacturing headaches, and a million other moving parts.

Corvallis was also an unusually innovation-rich environment for a town its size. With Oregon State University nearby, a steady stream of research energy, dozens of tech startups, established businesses, and engineers (including many with Hewlett-Packard roots), I saw a constant churn of new ideas. That meant my work never got repetitive. One week I might be helping someone protect a very practical mechanical invention, like a portable bottling machine or a manufacturing tool. The next week I could be deep in advanced software-related patent work, helping a founder describe systems, data flows, and technical architecture in a way that actually holds up under patent examination.

Over time, I learned something that feels obvious once you see it: inventors are everywhere, and "innovation" doesn't belong to any one industry. It shows up in garages, workshops, labs, small offices, and late-night conversations between founders who refuse to let an idea go. My job is to help those people translate what they built into something that can be protected, leveraged, and used to move a business forward.

After my years in Corvallis, I became a partner at a boutique intellectual property firm in Portland, Oregon, where my work focused primarily on patents and trademarks, with some copyright matters as well. That experience broadened my perspective again, especially on brand protection and how patents and trademarks can work together as a cohesive business strategy. Patents can protect what you built. Trademarks protect the identity you build around it. When those two are aligned, the business becomes harder to copy, harder to undercut, and easier to grow with confidence.

Throughout my career, I've also loved teaching and speaking, because I've seen how confusing IP can feel when you are encountering it for the first time. I've given numerous presentations to groups ranging from genealogical societies to emerging entrepreneur organizations and small business development groups. Whether the room is full of founders, inventors, artists, or small business owners, the pattern is the same: people want clarity. They want straight answers. They want to know what matters, what doesn't, and how to avoid expensive mistakes.

Today, I'm restarting my solo practice in Southern Oregon after moving here to be closer to family. Coming back to a smaller community feels like a return to what I enjoyed most about earlier stages of my career: working directly with clients, staying practical, and building real relationships with the people behind the ideas.

If you work with me, you can expect a process that is strategic but grounded, thorough but understandable. I take the work seriously, but I try not to take myself too seriously. My goal is to help you protect what you are building without drowning you in legal jargon or making the process feel intimidating. Whether you are a solo inventor with a napkin sketch, a startup preparing to pitch, or an established business investing in R&D, I'm here to help you turn innovation into an asset you can actually use.

If you're building something you care about, I'd love to hear about it.