Pitz, Ian A. J.

Mr. Pipes was born and raised in north Louisiana. He attended the University of Southern California earning a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. After college, he joined the US Air Force and served seven years on active duty before returning to Louisiana to attend Tulane Law School.

After graduating from Tulane, Mr. Pipes entered private practice doing general civil litigation. Mr. Pipes eventually became interested in utilizing his engineering education and interests in science and technology in the intellectual property field, becoming a member of the United States Patent and Trademark Office bar in 2000. At the same time, he became a member of the Texas bar, moving to Texas to practice intellectual property law.

Mr. Pipes possesses extensive experience in patent and trademark prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and copyright matters as well as general litigation. He has prepared or prosecuted over 175 patents that include food processing and packaging, oilfield drilling and production, biology, telecommunications, medical devices, computers, data processing, environmental, mechanical, electrical, chemical, optical, and business methods. Mr. Pipes is very competent in telecommunication, medical/biological, electrical, mechanical, optical, and computer technical arts. Mr. Pipes also has considerable experience working with foreign associates on foreign prosecution matters, particularly before the European Patent Office and the Korean Patent Office, as well as the Chinese Patent Office.

Mr. Pipes has also handled over 30 trademark applications and advised clients on copyright and trade secret matter. His experience extends to litigation of patents, trademark, copyright, and trade secret issues in Federal District courts, as well as appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Federal Circuit.

During his tenure in Louisiana, Mr. Pipes gained valuable litigation experience representing clients in a variety of legal areas that included business law, corporate law, bankruptcy, personal injury, torts, toxic torts, product liability, environmental, employment, contract, ERISA, social security, successions, medical malpractice, property, family law, landlord-tenant, oil and gas, workers' comp, Rehabilitation Act, Privacy Act, mergers and acquisitions, and a public stock offering.

Mr. Pipes is a registered patent attorney and is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas and Louisiana. He is admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is also retired from the US Air Force Reserves.

Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in trademark prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and copyright matters as well as general litigation that includes personal injury, product liability, environmental, contracts, and  family law.
• Proficient and experienced in telecommunication, medical/biological, electrical, mechanical, and computer technical arts.
• Excellent legal research, writing, analytical, problem solving and advocacy skills combined with ability to manage large groups, control multi-million dollar budgets, and maintain infrastructure.
• Strong military background includes certificates in air force and military logistics.
• Licensed to practice in Texas, Louisiana, and United States Patent and Trademark Office
  (USPTO). 
• Member of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Bar.