Overview
Sarah represents clients of all sizes and helps them to identify, protect and leverage their intellectual property rights in the U.S. and abroad. She assists clients with strategic patent portfolio development and management in a wide variety of industries. Sarah has expertise in all phases of patent prosecution, including appeal and post-grant proceedings. She also has been involved in many due diligence investigations and prepared patentability and freedom to operate opinions, and provided trademark and trade secret counseling.
Sarah is an experienced and successful patent prosecutor with extensive expertise across a broad range of electrical and materials engineering technologies. She practices in the areas of optics, sensors, telecommunications, software interfaces and control systems, RF devices, systems and antennas, and semiconductor materials, devices and manufacturing. Sarah also has significant experience working with clients in the defense industry, and a thorough understanding of both the business and intellectual property impacts of government contracting, compliance with FAR and DFAR, and export controls.
Some representative matters include:
- Prosecuted key technology patents that led to a client’s successful merger with a large competitor, and formed the basis of an ongoing licensing program for the new company.
- Represented a start-up business in due diligence to obtain venture backing, and developed a patent portfolio to establish and protect the company’s position within the telecommunications industry.
Sarah is currently serving on the firm’s Management Committee, helping to shape the strategic direction of the firm.
Prior to entering the field of law, Sarah was an engineer for a fire and security company in South Africa, where she was involved in product research and development as well as customer support.
Education and Prior Experience
- Suffolk University Law School, J.D. , magna cum laude, focus on Intellectual Property Law and Civil Litigation; received an Academic Leadership scholarship, and commendations for achieving the highest grade in a number of courses, as well as awards for excellence in legal writing and oral advocacy
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, M.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering; Masters thesis focused on the use of coplanar waveguide technology for feed networks for microstrip patch antenna arrays
- University of Cape Town, South Africa, B.S., Electrical Engineering, with honors
- While in law school, participated in the AIPLA Giles Rich Intellectual Property Moot Court competition, earning recognition for Best Advocate and Best Appellant’s Brief for the Northeast Region
Admissions, Memberships, and Acknowledgements
- Admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Connecticut
- Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Named as one of New England’s “Super Lawyers” in the field of intellectual property, 2016
- Named as one of New England’s “Rising Stars” in the field of intellectual property, 2009-2015
- Conversant in Afrikaans
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Panelist for SBANE Technology and Innovation Committee seminar on “What You May Not Know About Doing Business with the Government.” (March 2014)