Overview
Nicholas Lagerwall is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is a member of the firm’s Electronics Practice.
Nicholas’ practice focuses on assisting clients in protecting their technology. He has created and managed valuable patent portfolios for numerous companies in both the electronics and mechanical technology spaces. In particular, Nicholas has significant patent prosecution and counseling experience in the areas of medical devices; imaging devices and systems; wireless and wired communication protocols and systems; optical networks, computer hardware and software; artificial intelligence and machine learning; semiconductor devices and fabrication; control systems; financial, insurance, and health care services; and mechanical devices and connectors.
Nicholas also has substantial IP due diligence experience in the context of M&A, early stage investment, and licensing, including evaluating the strength and associated risks of target patent portfolios and technologies.
In addition, he has extensive experience in a variety of post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office representing both patent owners and petitioners, as well as in district court and Federal Circuit appeals litigation. Nicholas’ post-grant experience includes numerous inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, post-grant review (PGR) proceedings, covered business method (CBM) proceedings, reexamination proceedings, and reissue applications.
Prior to joining Foley, Nicholas worked as an electrical engineer at General Motors’ Janesville, Wisconsin, Assembly Plant, where he designed and maintained communication systems, robotic vehicle assembly systems, lighting systems, fire suppression systems, and power transmission systems.
Education
- Marquette University Law School (JD, cum laude, 2008)
- Member, Marquette Law Review
- University of Wisconsin, Madison (BS, electrical engineering, 2004)
Community Engagement
Since 2000, Nicholas has been a volunteer firefighter at the Wilmot Volunteer Fire Department.
Admissions
- Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office