Heather helps clients secure patents for their innovations.
As much as she enjoyed working with new technologies, Heather realized as an undergraduate that engineering wasn’t quite the perfect field for her: unusually for a student in her major, she preferred writing lab reports to working in the lab itself. While she accepted a position as an electrical engineer at an HVAC manufacturing company after graduation, Heather knew her long-term plan was to pursue a career where she could combine her love of reading, writing, and research with her technical background and her passion for technology and innovation. After three years as an engineer, she enrolled in law school to become an intellectual property attorney.
Heather has worked in both patent prosecution and patent litigation, with the latter as her primary focus prior to joining Husch Blackwell. She previously provided both case management and trial strategy advice for ongoing patent litigation, worked with expert witnesses, and drafted technical reports and briefs. Upon joining the firm, she returned to prosecution work, assisting clients as they prepare patent applications and drafting responses to USPTO Office Actions. Heather’s background in electrical and computer engineering serves her well in working with clients in the electrical and electronics industries. She is especially focused on clients with battery powered systems and devices, and she has worked on IP portfolios related to Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices, as well as battery and electronically powered ground penetrating radar.
Heather’s litigation background prepared her well for patent prosecution. Her time as a litigator taught her how to break down patents and pick them apart, and the experience increased her skill at assembling the pieces of patent applications and at building patents that will withstand scrutiny. Heather is also known for her in-depth understanding of the minutiae of clients’ work: as a former engineer, she readily grasps how the tiniest tweak can completely change an invention, and she designs applications that capture every detail.