Edward Lawson Photo

Edward R. Lawson, Jr.

Partner
Sub-Group Leader, Mechanical Engineering

Overview

Ed partners with clients to protect their intellectual property and develop and manage their IP portfolios. Clients appreciate the sharp focus he brings to the preparation and prosecution of United States and foreign patents in technologies related to mechanical engineering, material sciences, consumer and industrial products, mining equipment and automobile components.

His outstanding track record is the result of insights gleaned from a thorough understanding of client business goals coupled with high-level technical expertise as a mechanical engineer.

In addition to protecting clients’ patents and clearing products of infringement risks, Ed also provides counsel on trademark, copyright and technology licensing and development.

 

Time spent based in Shanghai, PRC, led Ed to add a China component to his practice. He now advises clients on issues ranging from intellectual property protection and enforcement to business formation and operation in China.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Ed served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and saw action in combat during Operation Desert Storm.

Experience

Ed has:

  • Developed solutions to problems that maximize the value of their intellectual property assets
  • Monitored competitor patents and products to counsel clients on potential infringement risks and claims
  • Prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in the U.S. and worldwide over a wide range of products and design concepts
  • Conducted numerous in-person and telephone interviews and corresponded with Examiners at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to expedite the prosecution of client patent applications
  • Led the successful defense of a client’s patent portfolio against multiple inter partes reexaminations and multiple ex parte reexaminations
  • Worked closely with in-house Chinese attorneys in Shanghai, PRC to help clients do business throughout mainland China and Hong Kong, counseling clients on issues relating to the establishment and operation of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and construction, taxation, employment and U.S. and Chinese immigration
  • Partnered with in-house Chinese engineers and attorneys as well as with outside Chinese intellectual property firms to ensure the protection of client’s IP rights in China and successfully resolve infringement of those rights in China

Honors & Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Patent Law, 2017-present
  • The Midwest’s Best Lawyers©, Patent Law, 2021

Professional Activities

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Wisconsin Bar Association
  • Member, Milwaukee Bar Association
    • Chair, Law Day Committee, 1999
    • Co-chair, Law Day Committee, 2000
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • Member, Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association

Education

Bar Admission

Court Admission

Community Involvement

  • Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America
  • President, West Point Society of Wisconsin

Insights

Education

Bar Admission

Court Admission

Community Involvement

  • Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America
  • President, West Point Society of Wisconsin
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