Laurén Murray is a partner in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. She counsels clients on the many facets of intellectual property including patentability, freedom to operate, patent validity, patent continuation strategies, intellectual property ownership, licensing practices, and brand development. She represents a wide range of clients from emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs to multi-national and Fortune 50 corporations through all stages of intellectual property procurement and enforcement.
PATENTS: A substantial portion of Laurén's practice involves managing U.S. and international patent portfolios. She has extensive experience in patent preparation and prosecution before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for both utility and design patent applications. She works closely with inventors, R&D teams, in-house counsel, and management to leverage her client’s investments in intellectual property by considering the competitive landscape and commercial trajectory of her client’s products and evaluating the costs and benefits of patent protection. Laurén's practice involves reviewing invention disclosures, interviewing inventors, analyzing patentability searches, drafting patent applications, developing prosecution strategies, preparing substantive responses to office actions, conducting interviews with USPTO Examiners, filing appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB), and proposing continuation strategies. She also manages Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications and coordinates with foreign associates to implement comprehensive international patent prosecution strategies.
USPTO LITIGATION: A substantial portion of Laurén's practice also involves USPTO litigation, such as Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings, including analyzing patent validity search results, preparing substantive briefings on behalf of both patent challengers and patent owners, working with technical experts to prepare expert reports, taking and defending depositions, and presenting oral hearings before the PTAB.
TRADEMARKS: In addition, Laurén works with clients to protect their brands in the U.S. and internationally. She strategizes and advises clients on the selection of valuable and enforceable trademarks and the implementation of best practices in obtaining and maintaining strong trademark portfolios. She prepares and prosecutes U.S. trademark applications before the USPTO.
TECHNOLOGIES: Laurén has dealt with a wide range of technologies, including:
- Robotics, including robotic surgical tools, robotic controllers and control consoles, and robotic toys;
- Artificial intelligence, including machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and Internet of Things;
- Medical imaging, including MRIs, x-rays, and spectrometry;
- Medical devices, including surgical clamps and fasteners, needles, staplers, electrosurgical instruments, and ultrasonic instruments;
- Consumer products, including headphones, toys, car seats, highchairs, and playpens;
- Waste management, including waste collection and compaction vehicles and composting equipment;
- Power tools;
- Heavy machinery related to metal refining, casting, and oil and gas;
- Pumps, sensors, valves, gauges, and other mechanical and electromechanical devices.
