Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., a national intellectual property law firm that procures, enforces and litigates intellectual property rights throughout the world, welcomes four new attorneys to its Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices.
Alisa S. Abbott, Washington, D.C., focuses her practice on all facets of design patent procurement, prosecution, and intellectual property counseling. Her practice includes evaluating and securing design patent protection of a broad range of sophisticated technologies.
Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, she practiced at a boutique intellectual property firm advising one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers on both foreign and domestic design procurement and prosecution.
She earned her B.A. in American studies and religious studies from the University of Virginia, and her J.D. from Washington & Lee University.
R. Scott Meece, Chicago, focuses his practice on patent prosecution and counseling. He has prosecuted more than 200 U.S. patents in areas including contact lenses, disinfection and cleaning systems, iontophoretic transdermal drug delivery devices, petrochemical processes and systems, and various other chemical and mechanical areas. He also has extensive experience managing patent litigation globally, including patent portfolio valuation methods, negotiating settlements agreements and drafting licensing agreements.
Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked as an engineer at Ford Motor Co. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, he led and managed patent cases globally for 25 years as general counsel and chief patent counsel for Novartis Vision Care, Bayer HealthCare and subsidiaries.
He earned his B.S. in chemical engineering and mathematics from the University of Illinois, M.S. in chemical engineering from Wayne State University, and J.D. from the University of Tulsa.
Joshua D. Schneider, Washington, D.C., focuses his practice on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in various fields, and especially in the computer and electronic device areas.
Prior to becoming an attorney, he was a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he examined patent applications directed to the computer arts. He also worked in the engineering departments of A.O. Smith and Harley-Davidson, where he designed testing equipment and processes for power system components and software. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, he practiced at a boutique intellectual property firm, working on both prosecution and litigation matters.
He earned his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his J.D. from Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Kirk A. Sigmon, Washington, D.C., counsels clients at all stages of invention, intellectual property enforcement, and litigation. His cases have involved a broad range of technologies, including optoelectronics, data storage and magnetics, network infrastructure, agronomy, cellular communications, and pharmaceuticals.
Prior to becoming an attorney, he programmed web applications and video games for companies around the world. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, in addition to his intellectual property practice, he worked with clients in response to Department of Justice, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations that involved technical issues such as data security. He also formerly worked at a law firm in Tokyo and has experience with Japanese and Korean intellectual property issues.
He earned his B.A. in Japanese and English from Wake Forest University, and his J.D. from the Cornell Law School. He is scheduled to receive a B.S. in electrical engineering from Arizona State University and an M.B.A. from Temple University this fall.
About Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
A national intellectual property law firm with more than 100 attorneys and 96 years of practice, Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., provides legal counsel and representation to the world’s most innovative companies. Our attorneys are known for having the breadth of experience and insight needed to handle complex patent applications as well as handle and resolve difficult disputes and business challenges for clients across all industries and geographic boundaries. For more information, please visit http://www.bannerwitcoff.com/.
Please direct all media inquiries to Amanda Robert at (312) 463-5465 or arobert@bannerwitcoff.com.
Posted: June 7, 2017
