IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield

Welcome to “Running Interference”—a special edition of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield  focused on sports technology and wellness innovation.

The economic impact of the sports and fitness markets is enormous—and growing every year. From staggering franchise valuations to the ever-growing array of equipment, wearable devices, and digital technology used by professionals and consumers alike, the financial stakes have never been higher. Companies and innovators are competing for an advantage as aggressively as the athletes themselves—and that means patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing are no longer just legal formalities. They’re strategic weapons.

In this series, Wolf Greenfield will examine the IP issues shaping sports and fitness: from professional team branding and identity to performance analytics, and beyond.

Our initial episode features Tommy Franklin, a Shareholder in Wolf Greenfield’s Electrical & Computer Technologies practice, along with patent agents Allison Mayne and Evan Bender, also from the Electrical & Computer Technologies practice.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

01:35 - Tommy highlights the primary factors driving interest

02:14 - An overview of the IP considerations for innovators in the sports and wellness markets

02:40 - Is there one form of IP that innovators should be considering?

03:35 - Evan and Allison discuss the major issues related to patents

04:36 - Tommy takes a look at trade secrets

05:22 - The IP issues for entities interfacing

05:58 - Final thoughts on the future for the sports and fitness markets

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The Wolf Greenfield Summer Program gives aspiring attorneys a firsthand look at life inside of a thriving law firm. Participants are assigned to a specific Wolf Greenfield service or technology practice, but they are also exposed to multiple practices to offer a 360-degree view of the firm’s diverse services. 

Each summer, the program welcomes both associates and technology specialist interns. Four of them are featured on this edition of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield. 

Summer Associates:

●      Molly Wallace, attending Northeastern University School of Law 

●      Bennet Staffa, attending Boston University School of Law

Technology Specialist Summer Interns:

●      Sriya Surapaneni, studying biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School 

●      Guy Sanchez, studying computer science at MIT

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

• 01:03 - The different paths taken to the Wolf Greenfield summer program
• 03:48 -  How the Wolf Greenfield summer program has prepared associates for what's next in their legal career
• 06:08 - Biggest surprises
• 8:35 - Favorite projects and experiences
• 11:02 - How the Wolf Greenfield program has prepared participants for the future
• 12:54 - Summer associates interacted frequently with each other and others throughout the firm
• 15:13 - The factors that set Wolf Greenfield’s program apart from others

In some of our previous episodes, we’ve explored the interesting paths that  Wolf Greenfield attorneys have taken as they eventually made their way to IP law. One thing that separates Wolf Greenfield from other firms is the depth of real-world experience many of its attorneys possess. In fact, over half of the professionals at Wolf Greenfield worked in science and technology industries prior to entering law.

Kevin MacDonald, a Shareholder in Wolf Greenfield’s Biotechnology practice, is an ideal example. After earning a degree in biology at Boston College, Kevin went to England to get his Master’s in Molecular Biology and then back to North America for his PhD at McGill University’s Institute of Parasitology in Montreal. Before his graduate studies and eventually going to law school, Kevin worked as a Life Science and Healthcare Industry Analyst at the British Consulate-General in Boston.

In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield,  Kevin discusses his path from the world of science to IP law and his current work assisting clients with IP strategy, portfolio management, and patent prosecution and counseling.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

01:18 - Kevin’s background in biology

02:33 - How Kevin became interested in parasitology

03:10 - Serving as an analyst at the British Consulate-General

04:21 - Making the switch to law

05:38 - The challenges of transitioning from science to a legal career

06:21 - Kevin’s current practice at Wolf Greenfield

07:20 - Some of the most exciting things happening in biopharma today

08:18 - Kevin’s efforts as a board member of the British American Business Council of New England

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting nearly everything in society these days, including the world of biotechnology and life sciences. 

In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield, Janice Vatland, a Shareholder in Wolf Greenfield's Biotechnology practice, explains important IP considerations for turning groundbreaking discoveries that utilize AI into lasting business value.

With nearly 25 years of experience, Janice works with clients of all sizes, including universities, start-ups, and small to mid-sized companies. She also serves as Chair of Wolf Greenfield’s PTO Practice Committee.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

• 00:58 - Janice describes her practice at Wolf Greenfield
• 01:57 - The factors that led Janice from her work in science to IP law
• 05:25 - Janice explains how AI is being used in biotech today
• 06:51 - AI systems cannot be listed as inventors, and that creates challenges for companies using AI
• 08:05 - Additional issues with AI that companies need to be mindful of
• 10:54 - Companies are eager to use AI to gain a competitive advantage
• 11:53 - Key IP protection considerations for companies using AI 
• 13:16 - As patents on AI-derived drugs become more common, new legal challenges may arise as companies seek to defend their portfolios
• 16:49 - With science, technology, and AI all moving and changing so quickly, it’s critical for companies to constantly be monitoring and updating their IP strategies 

Photonics is rapidly transforming from a primarily academic discipline into a driving force of industrial innovation. As part of this transformation, photonics companies need to treat their intellectual property as a forward-looking business asset. 

In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield, Michele Moresco, a shareholder in the Electrical & Computer Technologies practice, explains how a  combination of thoughtful patenting, robust trade secret protection, early coordination, and litigation readiness can help companies thrive in this competitive and fast-evolving field. 

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Michele worked as a research scientist at Photonic Corporation and was also a postdoctoral associate at MIT, where—among other things—he led the operations of a DARPA-funded project to develop a silicon photonics fabrication platform for high volume manufacturing.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

01:15 - Michele describes his work at Wolf Greenfield.

02:23 - An overview of photonics—what it is and where we will see its impact.

04:22 - A comprehensive photonics IP strategy goes far beyond simple patent filings and procurement.

06:31 - The intellectual property strategy should be developed early as a company transitions from being an academic initiative to commercialization. 

 07:55 - Thoughts on the importance of protecting trade secrets.

09:33 - Multiple levels of the supply chain should be covered by a company’s IP strategy. 

11:12 - Michele offers an explanation of omnibus applications.

12:58 - Adopting comprehensive defensive strategies early may help deal with competitor disputes in the future. 

14:47 - It’s critical for the legal and technical teams to stay properly aligned as the organization grows. 

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Happy New Year from all of us at Wolf Greenfield.

In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield, we take our annual look back at the year just concluded and ahead to the new year, 2026, just begun.  

From anticipated activity, such as the forward march of artificial intelligence (AI) to unexpected developments, most prominently the new procedures at the PTAB, it was an eventful year.  

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

• 00:53 - Scott McKeown discusses the new administration’s impact on the PTAB 
• 02:55 - Ed Russavage offers suggestions for dealing with the backlog of patent applications waiting for examination at the USPTO 
• 03:58 - Christina Licursi on the growth of artificial intelligence
• 04:54 - Dan Young believes strong, creative claiming strategies are critically important in today’s environment
• 06:39 - In the Pharmaceutical industry, Jonathan B. Roses sees the potential for easier treatment of diagnostic method claims in 2026 
• 08:27 - Zach Piccolomini on the evolving landscape for standard essential patents 
• 09:52 - Greg Corbett provides a summary of the factors that may result in an increase in litigation in 2026
• 10:39 - Christina Licursi sees AI’s impact on law firms and clients growing throughout 2026 and in the years beyond

We’re pleased to feature Steve Brown in this episode of Wolf Greenfield’s Alumni Spotlight series. He was previously a technology specialist in Wolf Greenfield’s Biotechnology Practice.  

Today, Steve serves as Associate General Counsel at Orna Therapeutics. Orna is reshaping RNA therapeutics to open an entirely new world of possibilities in the treatment of disease.

Here are some highlights from Steve’s turn in the Alumni Spotlight on IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield.

00:47 - Steve’s current responsibilities at Orna

02:19 - Making the transition from a law firm into corporate roles

03:26 - An overview of Orna Therapeutics

05:18 - Steve’s favorite memory of Wolf Greenfield

07:25 - When Steve thinks of his time at Wolf Greenfield, what comes to mind?

09:10 - Steve’s dream travel destination

10:09 - His favorite movie

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In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield, we continue our series of conversations with Wolf Greenfield attorneys about the unexpected paths that led them to IP law. 

Jerry Hrycyszyn is a litigation shareholder at Wolf Greenfield. He’s an experienced trial lawyer focusing on patent litigation and post-grant proceedings. Suresh Rav is a litigation associate, representing clients in federal district courts and before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Prior to entering law, both gentlemen were professionals outside the legal industry. Jerry served as an officer in the US Navy and Suresh worked as a Quality Control Scientist. Here are a few highlights from their conversation:

01:00 - Jerry describes his service with the US Navy and subsequent work as an environmental engineer.

04:04 - Suresh’s work as a quality control scientist and the pivot to IP law.

06:55 - Jerry and Suresh explain the skills and perspectives from their previous careers that have given them an unexpected advantage in IP law.

09:38 - The aspects of IP law that were challenging to learn coming from a different professional background.

11:15 - Suresh and Jerry offer advice for those looking to transition from another field into IP law.

Getting from point A to point B in IP law is rarely a straight line. In fact, many attorneys have successful careers in other fields before entering the legal world. That was the case for Wolf Greenfield Shareholder Christina Licursi, who was initially working in business management. Today, Christina focuses her legal practice on global portfolio management, counseling, and advising clients on a wide range of intellectual property matters.

In this episode of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield, Christina offers insight into her journey, what led to an interest in IP and how she has applied non-legal skills to her practice.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:

• 01:04 - Christina's path to IP law
• 04:51 - Getting a dual degree helped open the door to Wolf Greenfield  
• 07:49 - How "jumping into the deep end" in her first business management position helped years later in IP law
• 09:44 - Dealing with "imposter syndrome" and other challenges at the beginning of a legal career
• 11:14 - Advice for those transitioning into IP law

The Wolf Greenfield Summer Program gives aspiring attorneys a firsthand look at life inside of a thriving law firm. Participants are assigned to a specific Wolf Greenfield practice group, but they are also exposed to multiple practices to offer a 360-degree view of the firm’s diverse services. 

This year’s program featured ten members. Seven of them joined us on this edition of IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield: 

●      Christina Gray: attends University of New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce School of Law

●      Kaylah Birmingham: a PhD candidate at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences

●      Leannah Schmitt: a PhD candidate at Harvard University 

●      Fayth Wisehart: attends University of Virginia School of Law

●      Kyle Evans: a PhD candidate at Harvard University

●      Leah Cravitz: attends Boston College Law School

●      Neha Krishna: a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania

Here are a few highlights of their conversation: 

• 01:54 - How the associates heard about Wolf Greenfield’s Summer Program and what led each to apply
• 04:08 - Technology specialist interns share surprising aspects of the experience 
• 05:50 - Favorite projects and experiences
•  07:45 - How the program prepares participants for their legal careers
•  11:25 - Returning for a second year to the program, Neha shares how this year’s experience differs from the previous year
• 12:10 - Advice for future participants