Michael J. Pomianek, PhD

Overview

Mike Pomianek counsels clients ranging from early-stage start-ups to large, multinational companies, to leading universities across a full range of IP matters – including patent prosecution, IP strategy and portfolio development, due diligence, licensing and other IP agreements, and opposition/post-grant proceedings. Mike works with clients across a wide range of technologies, such as chemical manufacturing and processing, chemical separations and bioprocessing, small molecule and polymer chemistry, materials science, alternative energy and other cleantech technologies, carbon dioxide mitigation and other environmental technologies, biomedical and tissue engineering, medical devices, medical diagnostics, analytical devices, food and beverage products, textiles, and nanotechnology. Mike also chairs Wolf Greenfield’s Attorney Training Committee and co-chairs its Cleantech Group.

Mike serves as a judge and mentor for the MIT Clean Energy Prize and $100K entrepreneurship competitions. Mike has also served as a judge since 2008 for the FIRST Robotics FRC qualifiers and FIRST New England District Championship; he has also mentored FIRST Robotics FLL teams.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Mike worked as a chemical process engineering co-op student for Rohm & Haas, and as an MIT Practice School student for Dow Chemical and General Electric.

Mike’s doctoral research in the Chemical Engineering Department at MIT involved the design, construction, and testing of an immunoaffinity, tangential flow filtration membrane-based device for selective blood cell separation, and investigating cell membrane deformation and the effects of fluid mechanical shear stress in blood, such as generated by extracorporeal circulation devices, on immune cell regulation and function. His work was conducted in collaboration with Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.

Experience

• Secured robust US patent protection for methods of diagnosing neurological conditions via simple blood tests in the face of challenging patent eligibility requirements for growing medical diagnostics company.
• Negotiated key out-license with Fortune 100 medical products company on behalf of small medical technology development company positively impacting its revenue stream and valuation. 
• Worked with Chinese counsel to develop and implement multi-prong strategy to challenge pending patent applications of Chinese company copying client’s medical device technology and to enforce client’s Chinese patents against the Chinese company .
• Worked with a start-up to patent innovative coffee extraction process forming the basis of a successful market leading business later acquired by leading multinational food products company in an eight figure transaction.
• Spearheaded aggressive originality interference strategy to block issuance of contested, allowed competitor patent application to create critical leverage for settlement and licensing negotiations.
• Developed strategic patent portfolio for carbon dioxide mitigation/biofuels company and provided strategic IP counseling leading company from business plan competition start-up to $92 million contract for commercial installation of system.
• Provided offensive due diligence for major medical device company evaluating intellectual property position and freedom to operate of targets for acquisition and in-licensing.
• Acted as patent law expert and provided expert report for multinational textile manufacturing company involved in litigation with key competitor, which resulted in a consent judgment dismissing all of competitor’s claims, with prejudice.
• Supported university start-up in medical diagnostic space from its formation to IPO. Developed IP portfolio and provided strategic agreement support contributing substantially to IPO success and valuation.
• Developed extensive domestic and international patent portfolio for leading technology development and licensing company in medical infusion and dialysis space leading to exclusive licensing and development partnerships with multinational medical device and retail distribution companies.

Activities

• American Bar Association
• American Chemical Society
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Boston Bar Association
• Boston Intellectual Property Law Association
• Intellectual Property Owners Association
• Massachusetts Bar Association
• FIRST Robotics (Judge)
• MIT 100K Entrepreneurship Competition (Judge and Mentor)

Recognition

Mike received the Daniel J. Fern Award for graduating first in his class at Suffolk University Law School. Mike has also been repeatedly named to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list for his work in the field of intellectual property law.

Interests

• Hiking and mountain climbing
• Ancient and medieval history
• The history of technology and medicine
• Collecting and using antique razors
• The chemistry of fragrances and perfumery