Joseph W. DePalma, Ph.D.

Overview

Joe brings broad and diverse technical expertise in physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and the design and fabrication of complex scientific instrumentation to the firm’s Chemical & Material Sciences practice group. He drafts and prosecutes U.S. and foreign patent applications across a broad range of technologies, including: “green” technologies, medical devices, manufacturing technologies, consumer products, artificial intelligence, and pharmaceuticals. He also provides technical support, due diligence review, freedom to operate, and patentability analyses for clients in a variety of technical areas at the interface of chemistry, physics, and electrical/mechanical engineering.

Joe earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Delaware and was an NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in chemical physics at Yale University. His doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on the role of chemistry in global climate and the development of new spectroscopic and spectrometric instrumentation for the characterization of nanoparticles and molecular clusters. Joe has authored and co-authored original research articles in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Chemical Physics, and Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

Before joining L&A, Joe worked as a patent agent at a Boston-based IP law firm specializing in the biotechnology and life sciences fields. Prior to beginning a career in the legal field, Joe honed his skills in measurement sciences while working in a materials certification facility performing ASTM and ANSI testing on consumer products; a semiconductor wafer recycling facility; and the U.S. Geological Survey measuring groundwater depth and subsurface ground stability for the construction of new interstate highways.

October 1, 2020

Substitute Claims Filed During Inter Partes Review Subject To Patent Eligibility Analysis

Participated in developing patent portfolio for a consumer products client, including drafting and prosecuting patent applications domestically and abroad for performance fabric materials.
Assisted formerly pro se inventor with developing and prosecuting patent portfolio directed to oral care products resulting in acquisition of portfolio.
Drafted patent applications for a water and waste treatment client focused on reducing polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater to meet and exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards.