Biography
Matt is a registered patent attorney who provides strategic intellectual property counsel to a range of clients, from independent inventors and start-ups to universities and Fortune 500 companies. With a focus on the electrical and software engineering industries, he advises clients at all stages of domestic and foreign patent prosecution, helping them maximize protection across jurisdictions while minimizing costs.
Matt regularly conducts non-infringement, patentability, validity, and enforceability analyses, and drafts corresponding opinions. Leveraging what he calls his “sweet spot” of technology and patent prosecution experience, Matt advises clients on big-picture issues, including developing strategies to build out their IP portfolios by identifying existing protectable technologies, as well as implementing practices aimed at protecting new intellectual property assets. He also conducts IP due diligence in connection with mergers and acquisitions, and advises clients in association with IP litigation.
Matt’s engineering background, combined with his passion for learning, allows him to quickly develop an understanding of his clients’ diverse and evolving technologies. For example, he has helped one client explore what the next generation of smartphones might look like from a design and functionality standpoint, with the goal of helping forward-thinking manufacturers create innovative devices that are more accessible and affordable to a broader segment of the worldwide population. Matt has also become a go-to resource in the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as blockchain technologies, helping clients harness the power of these exploding technologies to identify protectable techniques and applications.
Matt is proud of his deep ties to Chicago and attributes his strong work ethic to his family roots, which he traces to his great-grandparents who immigrated from Ireland and built a life in Chicago. In fact, his great-grandfather operated the Michigan Avenue drawbridge over the Chicago River for many years.
Outside of work, Matt likes to stay active year-round, including skiing and playing platform tennis outdoors throughout the winter months. He has also completed several triathlons over the years. A lifelong music lover, Matt enjoys playing the drums, going to concerts, and discovering new bands and genres of music.
Matt has been listed as an “Emerging Lawyer” in Emerging Lawyers Magazine since 2015, which recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys in Illinois. Each year since 2018, he was also selected for inclusion in the Illinois Rising Stars® list, featuring outstanding young attorneys in the state. In 2024, Matt was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© list in the practice area of Patent Law.
Representative Experience
- Successfully procured patents for a range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies, to start-up ventures, to universities, to independent inventors.
- Strategized with clients on approaches to build out IP portfolios, including identifying protectable technologies and recommending internal implementations.
- Performed non-infringement, patentability, validity, and enforceability analyses for clients, and drafted corresponding opinions.
- Counseled clients on effective ways to maximize patent protection across jurisdictions while minimizing costs.
- Performed IP due diligence in association with company mergers and acquisitions.
Matt has helped clients secure patent protection in connection with a variety of electrical and software engineering technologies:
- Machine learning and other AI applications
- Cloud-based systems and networking
- Next-generation smartphones
- Mobile device applications and operating systems
- Autonomous vehicles
- Digital image processing and printing devices
- Audio processing and related audio devices
- Digital mapping
- Social networking, including front-end interfaces and back-end technologies
- Semiconductors
- Business methods, including various financial models, fleet management, and supply chain optimization techniques
Background and Credentials
Before attending law school, Matt worked for two years as a patent agent for a boutique IP firm. He also gained technical experience in electrical and computer engineering through prior roles as an analyst for a national IT consulting firm and as a financial derivatives trader.
Education
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (J.D.)
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.S.)
- Computer Engineering
Bar Admissions
Publications and Presentations
- "USCO's Decision That AI Prompts Aren't Copyrightable Underscores Tech's 'Black Box' Problem," LegalTech News, September 20, 2023 (featured quotes).
- "AI Use Risks Drop in New Patents as Ideas Are Rendered 'Obvious'," Bloomberg Law, July 12, 2023 (featured quotes).
- "Revolutionizing IP Protection: Navigating the Convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Interoperability, and Blockchain," The Patent Lawyer, May/June 2023 Edition.
- "Protecting Your Intellectual Property in the Metaverse," Legal Dive, December 9, 2022 (featured quotes).
- "As Metaverse Evolves, So Do IP Protection Issues," Author, Law360, November 17, 2022.