PEOPLE

Our firm offers the experience of a large firm with the dedication and fees of a small firm environment. We offer very competitive fees and uncomplicated approach.

We are able to communicate with clients in: Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog.

We benefit from a cohesive team of associates, paralegals, foreign associates and vendors with a long history of collaboration and friendship to better serve your needs.

Scott W. Houtteman, Ph.D - Patent Attorney

Scott Houtteman

Mr. Houtteman specializes in biotechnology patent prosecution, acquisition, management, and licensing. Mr. Houtteman served as an Examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for over eight years where he issued over 300 patents. He was a Primary Examiner in the biotechnology industry sector, and specialized in DNA diagnostic assays and DNA amplification methods.

Mr. Houtteman received his J.D. from George Washington University, a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago and a B.S. degree from Michigan State University. His doctoral dissertation topic involved molecular genetic analysis of artificial chromosome segregation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As a Post Doctoral Research Fellow he studied developmental gene regulation at Texas A&M University.

Mr. Houtteman published A DNA Polymerase Mutation That Suppresses the Segregation Bias of an ARS Plasmid in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, 13 J. Mol. Cell. Biol. 1489-96 (1993).

Mr. Houtteman is admitted to practice in: the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Michigan and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Zhuo "Joe" Xu - Patent Agent

Zhuo (Joe) Xu

Mr. Xu's practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the electrical and mechanical fields for clients from several countries. He also participates in the preparation of patentability and other legal opinions, and advises U.S. companies regarding Chinese patent and trademark law.

Also, Mr. Xu has extensive experience in Chinese IP law. He used to work in an IP firm in Beijing, where his practice focused on domestic trademark and patent prosecution. He had also worked on the Trademark Appeal Board of China as an administrative trademark judge for four years, where he handled many prominent cases, such as the appeal from final refusal of the registration of the mark "Texas Instruments" issued by the Chinese Trademark Office and Standard & Poor's petition for cancellation of the registration of the mark "S&P" by a Chinese company.

Mr. Xu graduated in 1992 from Jinan University with a Bachelor's degree in Material Engineering. He received a Master of Intellectual Property degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2002, and received his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from George Mason University in 2011.

Mr. Xu is registered to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

Bradford Kile - Of Counsel

BEK pic

Mr. Kile is now retired. He remains a good friend and an occasional advisor to the firm in view of his vast experience in patent prosecution, patent litigation, trademark litigation as well as trademark oppositions and cancellation proceedings. He remains a valuable firm asset.

Mr. Kile was a Patent Examiner at the USPTO and served as a law clerk for the United States Court of Federal Claims dealing with cases filed against the Federal government for violation of intellectual property rights. Mr. Kile has been lead counsel in over sixty intellectual property cases in Federal District Court litigation.

Also, Mr. Kile was an Adjunct Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law and a Fellow of the Inn for the Giles S. Rich American Inn of Court. He was a former Patent Judge with the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Mr. Kile has served as an expert witness on behalf of the USPTO involving patent prosecution issues.

Mr. Kile graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He holds a J.D. from George Washington University School of law and an LL.M.with highest honors. During the active phase of his career, Mr. Kile was a member of the bars of the United States Supreme Court; the Federal Circuit Court; the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and pro hac vice before U.S. Federal District Courts in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.