Bruce H. Bernstein

Bruce Bernstein, now a founding counsel at the firm, was one of the founders of the firm, having joined in 1979.  For more than 35 years, Bruce was one of the co-managing partners of the firm.  Bruce has travelled to Asia extensively and has spent more than four years in Japan over the course of his career.

Bruce majored in Applied Physics at Tufts University, where he was lucky to have a Nobel Prize winner (Dr. Allan Cormack) as his academic advisor, and a Hall of Famer (Tom Penders) as his basketball coach. In fact, his college team has been inducted into both the New England College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Tufts University Hall of Fame. Early in his professional career, from 1973-78, Bruce attended law school (at Georgetown University) in the evenings and worked as an Examiner at the USPTO, examining in both the electrical and mechanical arts (connectors and special receptacles).  While there he was selected for two special details – one as a law clerk to a judge at the USPTO Board of Appeals, and one as a special assignment working for the assistant Commissioner of Patents, analyzing the effect of appeal conferences on appeal outcomes.  After joining the firm in 1979, Bruce was involved in patent prosecution and then spent several years involved in patent litigation, both on the District Court level and before the International Trade Commission.  Thereafter, Bruce became head of the G&B patent prosecution group for more than twenty-five years, specializing in high level USPTO work, licensing negotiations, validity and infringement opinions and evaluations, and general IP counselling involving monetization and related business issues.  He has conducted many licensing negotiations, on behalf of both licensees and licensors, and has been actively involved in joint development agreements, due diligence, IP evaluations, and overall IP/business strategy.

As a result of his own varied business experience, Bruce brings a practical business perspective to his IP, technical and legal knowledge in order to advise clients on a variety of IP and related legal strategies.  His present work involves a variety of IP strategy issues, and he often lectures to audiences of IP professionals from around the world.

Notable

• Recognized as one of the world’s top 300 IP strategists in 2022 and 2024 by IAM
• Travelled to Japan well in excess of 100 times
• Frequent Lecturer to JIPA, and to LES and LESI
• Legal Advisor to companies worldwide on patent monetization and defense strategies