DENVER (July 5, 2023)—Holland & Hart is pleased to announce that partner Phil Harris has been appointed Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Patent Systems Group. For more than a decade, the Patent Systems Group has been reinventing how to approach patent preparation and prosecution by leveraging automated technology solutions and applying innovative approaches to optimize responsiveness, collaboration, and consistent results for clients.
Harris combines legal expertise and a background in mechanical engineering to develop legal strategies that protect and manage large, business-critical patent portfolios in alignment with clients’ business priorities. Working with some of the world’s most innovative technology companies, he prepares and prosecutes US and foreign patents—including handing ex parte and inter partes disputes at the United States Patent and Trademark Office—with a focus on memory technology, wireless communications, electronics, software (including AI and cloud computing), and complex medical and mechanical devices.
Harris replaces Michael Drapkin, who is leaving the practice of law to become CEO of a California-based AI company.
“Phil has been a vital leader and strategist on several key Patent Systems Group client teams. He has been integrally involved in developing and refining streamlined workflows that generate tremendous strategic value for high-volume patent clients,” said firm chair Chris Balch. “A strong supervisor, mentor, and champion of the team’s collaborative culture, Phil has earned the trust and confidence of Patent System Group clients, partners, and team members. Under his leadership, the team will continue building its international reputation that allows the firm to attract top tier talent and serve the sophisticated needs of clients developing cutting-edge technology and software patents.”
“I am incredibly proud and humbled to lead this team of sophisticated attorneys, patent agents, engineers, and specialists,” said Harris. “Our team culture –where collaboration, respect, active listening, and unwavering commitment to excellence are non-negotiable—underpins our value to clients. As our clients’ technologies continue to accelerate and the legal industry evolves, I look forward to helping lead the team to continuously innovate and adapt to push the boundaries to improve our service for clients.”
Harris earned his JD at The George Washington University School of Law and interned for Chief Judge Randall R. Rader at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit before joining Holland & Hart.
With technical skills, creative thinking, and strategic counsel, Holland & Hart’s Patent Systems Group builds and manages patent portfolios for a broad range of clients, from well-funded startups to large, sophisticated enterprises. The team was named 2023 Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year (West) by Managing IP.
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