W DAVID KIESEL

David Kiesel is a founding member of Roy Kiesel Ford Doody & North, APLC. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has over forty years of experience with Intellectual Property Matters. Mr. Kiesel has assisted clients with all aspects of intellectual property procurement and protection. Additionally, Mr. Kiesel has served as an expert witness in a multitude of patent infringement cases. Mr. Kiesel’s vast experience includes: 

• Prosecution of patent applications across a wide array of technical disciplines
• Conducted patent infringement and validity studies
• Counseled clients regarding patent licenses
• Prosecution of patent and trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and foreign offices

Education:

• Louisiana State University, B.S. in Mathematics
• Louisiana State University, M.S. in Nuclear Engineering
• Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D.

Admissions:

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Louisiana
• United States Supreme Court
• United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

R BENNETT FORD JR

Bennett Ford is a director with Roy Kiesel Ford Doody & North, APLC.  His practice areas include patent, trademark, copyright prosecution, enforcement, defense and licensing.  Bennett joined Roy Kiesel in 1995.  He focuses on obtaining business-driven solutions to the intellectual property needs of the firm’s clients. 

Education:

• Tulane University, B.S. in Chemistry
• Tulane University, J.D. (cum laude)

Admissions:

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Louisiana
• United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Professional Involvement:

• Federal Bar Association, Litigation Committee
• Louisiana Bar Association
• Baton Rouge Bar Association
• Federal Circuit Bar Association
• Wex S. Malone American Inns of Court, President (2008-2009)

STEPHEN R DOODY

Mr. Doody has extensive experience in the prosecution, licensing and litigation of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and related intellectual property rights, as well as the preparation and enforcement of contracts. Steve is the recipient of numerous academic honors including induction into Phi Eta Sigma and Chi Epsilon honorary societies, in addition to receiving an American Jurisprudence Award for academic excellence. Mr. Doody’s areas of expertise include: 

• Prosecution of Patents and Trademarks before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Client counseling in contract drafting and disputes
• Litigation of Intellectual Property Matters

Education:

• Louisiana State University, B.S., Civil Engineering
• Loyola University School of Law, J.D.
• Loyola University, Master of Pastoral Studies 

Admissions:

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Louisiana
• United States Supreme Court
• United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

BRETT A NORTH

Brett A. North is a patent attorney with the intellectual property law firm of Roy Kiesel Ford Doody & North, APLC.  He is also an adjunct professor of Law at Tulane Law School, teaching Patent Law and Prosecution.  His practice concentrates on patents, trademarks, and copyrights for both litigation and prosecution.  He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is also a licensed professional engineer in Texas. 

He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Louisiana State University, graduating summa cum laude and first in his class.  He graduated summa cum laude from the South Texas College of law in Houston, Texas where he was a member of Law Review and the Order of Lytae. 

Education:

• South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, Juris Doctorate, Graduated 2nd in Class, summa cum laude
• Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Graduated 1st in College of Engineering, summa cum laude

Admissions:

• Legal
• Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Federal and Fifth Circuits
• United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
• Supreme Court of Louisiana
• Supreme Court of Texas

Engineering:

• Registered Professional Engineer, State of Texas (inactive status)

Honors and Awards:

• Order of the Lytae, Honor Society of the South Texas College of Law
• Member, Law Review, South Texas College of Law
• Presented American Jurisprudence Awards in Conflict Of Laws, Administrative Law, Payment Systems, and Professional Responsibility
• Presented the Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Senior Award for the College of Engineering, Louisiana State University
• Selected as the Outstanding Senior for the Mechanical Engineering College, Louisiana State University
• Presented the Louisiana State University Mechanical Engineering Academic Honors Award
• Awarded full fellowship for graduate studies in Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University

Professional Activities:

• American Bar Association
• American Intellectual Property Association
• Federal Bar Association
• National Society of Professional Engineers
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
• Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
• Pi Tau Sigma Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity

CHAD A. GRAND

Chad Grand is a Registered Patent Attorney and practices in all areas of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. 

Mr. Grand’s patent practice focuses on patent litigation, opinions, IP due diligence, licensing and prosecution covering a wide range of technologies.  He has represented both patent holders and accused infringers in jurisdictions throughout the United States.  Mr. Grand is also experienced in handling all aspects surrounding the drafting and prosecution of both domestic and foreign patents in the mechanical, chemical, biomedical, bioscience, and electrical fields, including specific areas related to complex oil field equipment and technology, safety equipment, industrial waste handling and disposal devices, communications equipment and technology, medical instruments, compositions and methods with medical and pharmaceutical applications, optical sensing devices, and many other technologies.  Mr. Grand is also experienced with analyzing the patentability of new technology and advising clients on issues related to whether patent protection should be sought.  His patent transactions practice includes the preparation of patent licenses and assignments, patent infringement opinions, validity opinions, freedom-to-operate opinions, confidentiality agreements, vendor agreements, distribution agreements, and employment and consulting contracts. 

Mr. Grand’s trademark practice focuses on helping clients acquire, protect, and enforce both domestic and foreign trademarks.  He provides counseling and representation extending to all facets of trademark law.  Mr. Grand’s practice includes counseling clients in their selection of trademarks; providing trademark availability and registerability opinions; preparing, filing, and prosecuting trademark applications in the U.S. and abroad; and policing potentially infringing uses of clients’ marks.  Mr. Grand also has experience handling trademark, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation in both federal and state courts.  In addition, he has represented clients in trademark matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), including trademark cancellation proceedings and trademark opposition proceedings. 

Mr. Grand’s copyright practice involves all aspects of copyright protection, licensing, and enforcement. Mr. Grand is experienced in obtaining copyright registrations; advising clients regarding ownership disputes; and preparing and negotiating licensing agreements, assignments, and employment contracts. He has litigated copyright issues on behalf of copyright owners and accused infringers in federal court. 

Mr. Grand’s litigation experience includes acting as lead attorney in multiple litigation cases involving claims of patent infringement, trademark infringement, copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, inventorship disputes, and other intellectual property issues. 

During his practice, Mr. Grand has facilitated the acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property assets in more than 50 countries, including multiple jurisdictions in, both, North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

Education:

• Louisiana State University, B.S. in Zoology, 2000
• Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, J.D. and B.C.L., 2005

Admissions:

• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Louisiana
• United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Presentations:

• “Avoiding Vendor Management Issues.” August 2013. A seminar given to in-house legal counsel and executives of financial institutions
  regarding potential pitfalls and best practices when entering into licensing agreements with vendors for software or other technology.
• “Bankers and Patent Trolls.” December 2013. A continuing legal education course on the subject of patent trolls given at the 2013 Louisiana
  Bankers Association Bank Counsel Conference.
• “Patent Workshop.” February 2010. A workshop for inventors at Louisiana State University’s E. J. Ourso College of Business, sponsored by
  LSU’s Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the LSU Library.
• “Intellectual Property Basics: Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets.” May 2009. A workshop event series sponsored by the
  Louisiana Business & Technology Center.

Professional Involvement:

• Louisiana State Bar Association
• Intellectual Property Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association
• Baton Rouge Bar Association