In this episode of IP Innovators, host Steve Brachmann sits down with Phil Harris, Equity Partner and Patent Practice Group Leader at Holland & Hart, to trace his journey from mechanical engineering to leading one of the most tech-forward IP teams in the Mountain West. Phil shares how his firm built custom automation and AI tools to streamline prosecution—from managing IDS filings to analyzing office actions—and how in-house innovation has transformed the way patent professionals wo...

In this episode of IP Innovators, host Steve Brachmann sits down with Mark Kesslen, Partner and Chair of the IP Group at Lowenstein Sandler, to trace his path from electrical engineering to chief patent counsel on Wall Street—and how that fintech vantage point shapes his practice today. We dig into LabMorgan’s early online payments bets, the ripple effects of State Street → Alice → Recentive, and where AI is already moving the needle in prosecution (IDS automation, office-action drafting, cla...

In this episode of IP Innovators, we sit down with Aaron Capron, partner and head of the Patent Office Practice at Finnegan, to trace his unconventional path from Lockheed’s GPS labs to leading one of the busiest patent prosecution teams in the U.S. 🛰️⚖️ Aaron shares how a cold call from a headhunter changed his career, what he learned as a USPTO examiner (think: video games and slot machines), and how he's helping clients navigate AI, quantum, semiconductors, and more in 2025. 🚴‍♂️💻🧠 👨‍💼 Abo...

In this episode of IP Innovators, host Steve Brachmann talks with Chris Agrawal, Managing Partner at Bookoff McAndrews, about his journey from sifting through stacks of physical patents at the USPTO to building a cloud-first, tech-forward IP practice. 📂➡️🤖 Hear how Chris navigated law school while working full-time, helped launch a lean, prosecution-focused firm, and is now piloting generative AI to make patent drafting more efficient. Discover what’s changed — and what hasn’t — in patent law...

In this first episode of IP Innovators, veteran patent attorney Paul Hunter, Partner and Electronics Practice Co-Chair at Foley & Lardner, shares his journey from filing patents using fax machines to leading an AI-accelerated practice. A candid look at how real careers adapt—and thrive—as technology transforms the future of IP law. 👨‍💼 About the Guest: Paul Hunter is a leading IP attorney with deep expertise in electronics, software, AI/ML, semiconductors, and more. As chair of Foley’s El...