Neal M. Cohen
In 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, Mr. Cohen was recognized by his peers, and through the independent research of Law & Politics Magazine, as a Southern California Super Lawyer. The list of Southern California Super Lawyers is based on a survey of over 65,000 lawyers in Southern California, and appears in the February editions of Southern California Super Lawyers(r) Magazine, and Los Angeles Magazine.
Academic and Professional Credentials
Loyola Law School, J.D. 1996 (cum laude)
UCLA School of Engineering, B.S. Computer Science and Engineering, 1987
Admitted to California State Bar
Registered Patent Attorney, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Admitted to U.S. District Courts (Central, Northern, Southern Districts of California)
Admitted to U.S. Courts of Appeal (Ninth Circuit, Federal Circuit)
Mr. Cohen has taught as an adjunct professor at Chapman University School of Law (2004-2005), and served on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Patent Law Association (OCPLA) for 6 years. He has also developed and presented seminars involving patent and trademark issues to several law firms and patent organizations.
Publications
For $500,000.00..., Intellectual Property Today, Vol 7, No. 6, June 2000, page 5 [discussing ABC's $500,000.00 patent law question to Drew Carey on celebrity "Millionaire"]. To view a reprint of this article, click here.
The Rule O' Festo, American Bar Association's IPL Newsletter, Vol 19, Number 2, Winter 2001, pages 12-13, [discussing the Federal Circuit's decision in Festo Corporation v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co., Ltd., decided November 29, 2000]. To view a reprint of this article, click here.
Minutiae, a column previously published monthly in the Orange County Patent Law Association newsletter, in which various minute issues of patent and trademark law are reviewed. To view Mr. Cohen's Minutiae columns, visit the OCPLA website, and from the "Newsletter" tab select the "Newsletter Archives" and then select the desired newsletter from February 2001 through September 2005.
Mr. Cohen was also interviewed by the New York Times regarding the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999. (Patents: Patent Application on Web Sends Inventor to the Drawing Board, New York Times Technology Section, April 2, 2001, Sabra Chartrand.)
Background and Experience
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Cohen spent seven years designing, programming, testing, implementing, and supporting proprietary business software applications for large U.S. Corporations. During that time, Mr. Cohen's programming expertise extended across multiple computer platforms, operating systems, and programming languages, with an emphasis on IBM 3090 mainframes and their associated assembly language, job control language, and utilities.
In 1996, Mr. Cohen earned his law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he graduated cum laude and in the top 5% of the class. He achieved Dean's Honor Roll status each year, and was named a Sayre MacNeil scholar for his outstanding academic achievements. He was also a member of both the St. Thomas Moore Law Honor Society and the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.
While attending law school, Mr. Cohen clerked for the California Court of Appeal, where in addition to analyzing and summarizing briefs for pending writs and appeals, he researched and drafted two civil opinions under the supervision of Justice Sheila P. Sonenshine, including Oskooi v. Fountain Valley Regional Hospital (1996) 42 Cal.App.4th 233. He also clerked for the Orange County District Attorney's Office, where he researched, drafted, and argued motions and appeals on the State's behalf.
After law school, Mr. Cohen was an associate with Lyon & Lyon, LLP for 2 1/2 years. He then formed his own practice in Newport Beach, and in 2001 successfully defended six clients, including Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., against claims of patent infringement. Mr. Cohen has represented clients in patent, trademark, and unfair competition litigation; trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; litigation brought before the United States International Trade Commission; and both litigation and ex-parte appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.
Mr. Cohen specializes in Intellectual Property (IP) prosecution and litigation. He has drafted and prosecuted both U.S. and foreign patent applications in the fields of computers (hardware, software, networking, Internet), electronics, telecommunications, avionics, lasers, optics, firearms, business models, medical devices, scientific instrumentation, automotive, entertainment, photography, printing, sports, and other manufacturing and industrial arts. Though many of these applications are currently pending, some which have issued as patents are available for viewing at our Issued Patents web page. Mr. Cohen also prosecutes trademarks, and counsels clients in contract and general IP matters.