Wolf Greenfield is pleased to announce the promotion of one attorney to the position of shareholder and six attorneys to the position of counsel, effective January 1, 2023. The firm’s newest shareholder is Gregory S. Nieberg. The firm’s newest counsel are Jason W. Balich, Thomas S. Chlebeck, Stuart V.C. Duncan Smith, Laura Rogers, Chelsea E. Witte-Garcia, PhD, and Adam S. Zeiger, PhD. Their legal and technical know-how covers a range of practice and technology areas, including biotechnology, chemical and materials technologies, electrical and computer technologies, patent, litigation, and post-grant proceedings.
“It is a distinct pleasure to announce the promotions of these seven attorneys who are strong stewards for our firm,” said Ed Gates, Wolf Greenfield’s President and Managing Partner. “Each brings to our clients a deep understanding of legal, technical, and business intricacies.”
SHAREHOLDER:
Greg Nieberg focuses primarily on inter partes review (IPR) and patent reexaminations before the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Greg also represents clients at all stages of patent litigations, and is experienced in handling matters at the Federal district courts (including the District of Delaware and Eastern District of Texas), the International Trade Commission (ITC), and arbitrations before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In addition, he maintains a robust pro bono practice. He is ranked among the top 3% of best performing practitioners – out of over 5,000 attorneys – when representing petitioners in Patexia’s IPR Intelligence Report.
COUNSEL:
Jason Balich is a trial and appellate lawyer who protects his clients’ technologies and defends their freedom to use them. Jason is also an engineer, an inventor, and a business owner. He has successfully defended multiple patent owners—from manufacturers to public universities—facing inter partes review challenges at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where the institution was denied. Jason regularly represents manufacturers as both plaintiffs and defendants in patent, trade secret, and commercial litigation before district courts and at the International Trade Commission (ITC). Jason authors the quarterly “Patent Update” column in Chemical Engineering Progress, the flagship publication of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Jason has been repeatedly named to the list of Massachusetts Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and has been recognized on the Best Lawyers: One to Watch list by The Best Lawyers in America©.
Tom Chlebeck focuses his practice on patent prosecution and client counseling in the areas of display technology (e.g., OLED and LCD), power technology (e.g., battery control and demand response), audio technology (e.g., surround sound, virtual and discrete), image analysis, artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning), wireless communication systems, distributed software systems, and other computer, electrical, and mechanical technologies. Tom’s background includes working in systems and software engineering. In addition, he was involved in designing a satellite that NASA ultimately selected for launch.
Stuart Duncan Smith is an experienced civil litigator focusing his practice on contested matters involving intellectual property. He has significant experience in federal and state courts across the country, the US International Trade Commission (ITC), and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Stuart’s experience encompasses all stages of complex litigation, including developing creative litigation strategies, pursuing discovery in a cost-efficient and effective manner, challenging and defending patents in post-grant proceedings, and shepherding the cases through trial and appeal. His litigation and post-grant experience encompasses a wide array of subject matters, including antibody drug discovery, internet communications, pharmaceuticals, and consumer electronics. Stuart is also active with the firm's pro bono clients, he serves on the firm’s Public Services Committee, which oversees the firm’s pro bono program, and he leads the firm’s efforts to raise funding for civil legal aid organizations.
Laura Rogers focuses her practice on US and foreign patent prosecution and opinion work, including freedom-to-operate analyses as well as due diligence, infringement, and invalidity opinions. Laura counsels clients of all sizes in the areas of medical devices and diagnostics, immunoassays, materials chemistry, organic chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, formulations, polymers, filter media, energy storage devices and uses of electrochemical cells, environmental technologies, including carbon emissions mitigation, oil and gas, hemp, and other cannabinoid products, fluidic devices, and metallurgical compositions.
Chelsea Witte-Garcia focuses her practice on patent prosecution and counseling across the full spectrum of biotechnology. In particular, Chelsea has extensive experience in the areas of microbiology, immunology, infectious disease therapeutics, vaccine development, antibody technologies, metabolic engineering, gene editing, and nucleic acid sequencing technologies. She counsels clients in US and foreign patent prosecution, working to develop IP portfolio strategies, including competitor analyses, freedom-to-operate, IP due diligence, patentability, trade secrets, and IP opinions. Chelsea represents clients from across the world, including individual inventors, small and early-stage biotech companies, and large multinational pharmaceutical corporations. She has a proven track record of building client relationships and is able to function as an extension of her clients’ businesses to align their IP strategies with their business goals. Chelsea is named to the list of Massachusetts Rising Stars by Super Lawyers.
Adam Zeiger focuses his practice on US and international patent prosecution in areas related to chemistry and materials science. He counsels clients of all sizes pertaining to technologies such as medical devices, novel polymers, filtration, and sensing diagnostics and detection. Adam has extensive experience in managing prosecution and opinion work, including freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence, landscape studies, and agreements. He works particularly closely with start-ups and academic institutions, but his experience extends to multinational companies as well. Adam completed his doctoral research at MIT, receiving his doctorate degree in Materials Science and Engineering in the Program for Polymer Science and Technology.