The Intellectual Property Law Center and the Intellectual Property Law Society at Drake University Law School are proud to welcome back to campus this April accomplished alumni working in the field of intellectual property law. These alumni will share with students their practice experience on the front lines while providing advice about choosing a career in the IP field.
“Because of our strategic location in Central Iowa, Drake has produced many distinguished alumni working in the field of intellectual property law,” said professor Peter K. Yu, the Kern Family chair in intellectual property law and the founding director of the Intellectual Property Law Center.
“We are very excited to bring these alumni back to campus. With the establishment of our IP Law Center, we look forward to working more closely with them to develop programs that will provide students with a solid foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of IP law.”
On Thursday, April 1, three alumni will participate in a panel on “Careers in Intellectual Property Law.” The event will be held at 4:30 p.m. in room 203 in Cartwright Hall.
“We are looking forward to the alumni coming back to share with us their experience,” said Rebecca Goodrich, the president of the Intellectual Property Law Society and a second-year Drake Law student.
“Knowing that at one time they were all where we are now is both motivating and reassuring. Their real-world knowledge and experience provide invaluable information that you just can’t get in the classroom.”
IP alumni featured on the career panel include:
• Daniel J. Cosgrove, Esq., LW’92, vice president of business development for Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. At Pioneer, Cosgrove takes a strategic approach to research business development, quickly filling gaps in technology and competency and looking for ways to more effectively compete for alliances with technology providers. Before his current position, he led Pioneer’s IP group and was its corporate counsel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Iowa State University.
• Wendy K. Marsh, Esq., PH’90, LW’94, a shareholder in the Intellectual Property Department of Nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & O’Brien, P.C. Prior to joining Nyemaster Goode, she practiced for 15 years with McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC, where she supervised the firm’s international and trademark departments. She is a past chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the Iowa Bar Association and a past president of the Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association.
• Brad J. Powers, Esq., LW’09, an associate with McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. While at law school, he was a member of the Drake Law Review and received the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Award. He holds a master’s degree in bioinformatics and computational biology and a bachelor’s degree in biology, both from Iowa State University.
Later this month, Daniel MacCraken, LW’06, a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will return to campus to provide a guest lecture on patent law to Drake Law students. The talk will take place on Wednesday, April 13.
While at law school, MacCraken received the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate. He also holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law, with highest honors, from The George Washington University Law School and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and economics from Iowa State University.
A week later, Kent R. Stevens, Esq., LA’81, LW’84, GR’84, a special counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, will return to Drake.
Stevens has more than 20 years of experience and specializes in IP litigation with a particular focus on section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission. He is a former president of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association and a frequent speaker on international trade issues related to IP litigation. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Drake National Alumni Association. He earned his B.A., M.P.A. and J.D. from Drake University and an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Founded in 1865, Drake University Law School is one of the 25 oldest law schools in the country. It has a strong and supportive alumni network, boasting graduates working in all 50 states and several foreign countries with positions that range from state Supreme Court justices to practicing attorneys to corporate CEOs. Corporations and firms that have hired Drake alumni practicing in the IP field include:
• Alcon Laboratories, Inc.;
• BASF Corp.;
• Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
• Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C.;
• Foley & Lardner LLP;
• Fulbright & Jaworski LLP;
• Kemin Industries, Inc.;
• Latham & Watkins LLP;
• McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.;
• McKee, Voorhees & Sease, P.L.C.;
• Merchant & Gould, P.C.;
• Monsanto Co.;
• Nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & O’Brien, P.C.;
• Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.;
• Price, Heneveld, Cooper, DeWitt & Litton, LLP;
• Stine Seed Co.;
• Syngenta Seeds, Inc.;
• United States Patent and Trademark Office; and
• Wyeth.