Biography
For clients in the computer, communications, electronics, control, industrial, service, and consumer product industries, Lilian Y. Ficht advances and protects the value of their technologies. She expertly secures domestic and foreign intellectual property rights, constructively assesses and manages patent portfolios, investigates patentability and freedom-to-operate issues, and counsels representative clients.
Her clients find she brings a rapid, savvy understanding of their technologies in commercial applications—skills developed and honed while in-house at AT&T Bell Laboratories and from advanced training in electrical engineering. With her comprehensive experience, Lilian has proven effective in helping clients create valuable intellectual property assets that continue to advance and protect their businesses.
Representative Experience
Lilian has supported clients in a wide variety of electronics-related technologies, including:
- Data and telecommunication networks, including wired and wireless architectures, cybersecurity, performance, protocols, and algorithms
- Mobile devices and features, including user and vehicular devices
- Autonomous and connected vehicles
- Big data applications and analytics
- Cloud-based systems
- Computer software and architecture
- Internet applications and data management
- User experience technology
- Industrial process control systems and equipment
- Retail, e-commerce, and business-to-business systems and processes
- Healthcare information management systems
- Dental instruments
Lilian’s expertise in intellectual property work within these fields include some of the following:
- Strategic portfolio analysis, development, and management, including:
- assessing clients’ current IP portfolios, existing and new products, and business needs in light of their competitive landscape, both domestically and internationally
- capturing clients’ competitive advantages by identifying and leveraging current IP assets as well as procuring additional IP assets
- Counseling clients during new product development, prosecution, and litigation on patentability and freedom-to-operate issues related to clients’ new innovations as well as in view of competitors’ products and announcements
- Preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent applications
Background and Credentials
While at AT&T Bell Laboratories, prior to joining the firm, Lilian gained valuable experience as a software engineer, architect and developer for multi-processor cellular and land-based telephony platforms, products, and features. She later served as a technical supervisor, responsible for managing software development and test groups for multi-processor cellular technologies.
Lilian earned her M.S. degree in electrical engineering with a concentration in systems from the University of Michigan. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in electrical engineering, with honors, with a concentration in bioengineering.
Publications and Presentations
- "Careers in Intellectual Property and Patent Law," Panelist, Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance (ILIPA) Panel Discussion, April 7, 2022.
- Co-Panelist, Virtual Patent Law Career Planning Event, IPLAC, April 14, 2021.
- Co-Author, “Feeling the Tax Pinch? IP Can Help You Get More Credit for Your R&D,” The Licensing Journal, June/July 2018.
- Co-Author, “Feeling the Tax Pinch? IP Can Help You Get More Credit for Your R&D,” Marshall Gerstein Alert, April 2018.
- Co-Author, “How do we encourage more women to stay and progress in the profession?” ManagingIP.com, March 2015.
Education
- University of Michigan (M.S.)
- Electrical Engineering
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.S., with honors)
- Electrical Engineering
Bar Admissions
Community and Professional Involvement
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) – Member, DEI Committee