SMITH BALUCH - Key Persons
Alexander C. Bost is a patent agent focused on patent strategy, drafting patent applications, freedom to operate and patent landscape analyses, and office action responses. Prior to joining Smith Baluch, Alex worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for three years as a patent examiner in Art Unit 3662, where he examined applications in fields spanning autonomous vehicles, mapping systems and software, aircraft systems, robotics, subsea machinery and vehicles, UAVs, and related fields.
Alex has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University (2009) and an M.S. in Space Propulsion (2017) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His master's thesis focused on the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes for creating small-scale ion thrusters, and he assembled multiple small satellites currently orbiting the Earth as part of his work with the MIT Space Propulsion Lab. Before earning his master's degree, he was an academic researcher in multiple labs at MIT spanning the fields of biology and materials science, computational neuroscience, condensed matter physics, and space systems.
Alex has also worked in multiple early- and mid-stage hardtech startups in R&D and IP development roles and is a named inventor on a patent for an electrospray emitter array. Prior to joining Smith Baluch, Alex previously worked at a Boston-area IP law firm as a technical specialist and patent agent where he drafted patent applications and office action responses in a wide array of areas including electric aircraft systems, AR/VR software and hardware, AI and machine learning, logistics software, and healthcare systems. In his spare time, Alex enjoys windsurfing, sailing, and reading about history.
Alex is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Amy L. Greywitt represents clients in intellectual property and technology matters. She has represented major corporations in complex patent and antitrust litigations across various technology sectors in federal district courts. More recently, she has worked with burgeoning start-ups to assess, protect, and enforce their intellectual property, including trademark clearance and prosecution.
Before entering private practice, Ms. Greywitt served as a law clerk to Judge Richard Linn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She also served as a law clerk to Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Ms. Greywitt received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Loyola University School of Law, where she was the symposium editor for the Annals of Health Law Journal and a student editor for the ABA Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments. Prior to law school, Ms. Greywitt worked in a plant genetics lab and published a thesis on the role of the plant hormone phytosulfokine in plant growth and development. She received undergraduate degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Spanish, magna cum laude, with a minor in Chemistry, from the University of Arizona Honors College.
Amy is licensed to practice in both California and New York, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Ms. Greywitt is also a mother, outdoor enthusiast, and yoga practitioner. She owns Metta Yoga studios in Marin County California.
Education
§ Loyola University Chicago School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2010) symposium editor, Annals of Health Law Journal; student editor, ABA Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments§ University of Arizona Honors College (B.S., with honors; B.A., magna cum laude, 2007) Phi Beta Kappa
Andrea Levesque is a patent attorney with expertise in the areas of IP licensing, joint development, domestic and foreign patent protection and enforcement, patentability analysis, patent prosecution, and freedom to operate. She enjoys collaborating in cross-functional teams to achieve strategic business objectives in R&D and licensing and holds a proven track record of securing global IP assets and generating licensing revenue.
Ms. Levesque holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University. As an A.J. Drexel Scholar and member of the Drexel Honors Program, Ms. Levesque received the AIChE outstanding Chemical Engineering Student award upon graduation. While working as a process engineer, Ms. Levesque earned her J.D. from Temple University, where she held membership in the Temple IP Law Society and The Temple Law IP Moot Court Team, competing in the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition and holding the honor of distinguished class speaker.
Ms. Levesque's professional experience prior to and during law school included polymer processing and the manufacture of filtration and medical products, as well as patent liaising between R&D teams and patent counsel. Prior to joining Smith Baluch, Ms. Levesque practiced in various settings, including the IP department of a large international law firm and as an associate at a Boston-based IP boutique firm. She later worked as Senior IP Counsel in several corporate environments in the medical device and semiconductor industries and also served as Chief IP counsel at a NH-based tech start-up.
Ms. Levesque is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Co - President and Chair of the Amicus Committee of the Naples Roundtable
- Intellectual Property Attorney and Formerly the Director
Andrew S. Baluch is an intellectual property attorney and formerly the Director of International IP Enforcement in the White House Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC). In the White House, Mr. Baluch was responsible for inter-agency coordination and execution of the administration's Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement. Prior to his White House appointment, Mr. Baluch served as an expert legal advisor to the Director of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) during the negotiation and enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). In this role, he worked with the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) on designing and implementing the AIA's new post-grant revocation procedures, and in drafting the USPTO's 2010-2015 Strategic Plan.
Mr. Baluch is co-president and chair of the amicus committee of the Naples Roundtable, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization engaged in the advanced study of intellectual property law and policy, in fostering the exchange of ideas, viewpoints, and scholarly papers among leading jurists and practitioners in the intellectual property field. Mr. Baluch is on the board of directors of the PTAB Bar Association and is active on the association's Trials Committee. He is also a member of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, where he is vice chair of the association's patent legislation committee.
Mr. Baluch previously served as a law clerk to Judge Richard Linn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Mr. Baluch is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and before the USPTO, the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court.
Dr. Jonathan Tong is a Patent Agent with Smith Baluch LLP. He focuses on patent prosecution, patentability analysis, freedom to operate analysis, and due diligence covering technologies related to photonics, optics, optoelectronics, materials science, mechanical design, thermal systems, semiconductor device fabrication, and machine learning.
Dr. Tong holds a Ph.D. (2016) and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His doctoral thesis focused on investigating novel morphological effects to spectrally shape, tune, and enhance radiative heat transfer in the near- and far-field regimes in application to energy-related technologies such as thermophotovoltaics (TPV) and infrared (IR) transparent fabrics for personal cooling.
Prior to joining the firm, Jonathan was a Patent Technical Advisor at a Boston-based law firm. Jonathan was also previously a Principal Scientist at BAE Systems, Inc. where he contributed to the development of a state-of-the-art instrument to detect counterfeit integrated circuitry using a combination of electron microscopy and x-ray tomography. He also worked on an ultrasound-based electroceutical device where he designed an acoustic matching layer to improve transmission of acoustic pulses into human tissue. Jonathan has authored and co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals and general audience science magazines on optics, photonics, and thermal science. He is also a co-inventor of several patents based on his work at BAE Systems, Inc. and MIT.
Dr. Tong is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
Dr. Max Colice advises high-technology companies and universities on creating and enforcing high-value patent protection for photonics, optics, lasers, semiconductor devices, electronics, software, telecommunications, robotics, and medical devices. He has written seminal patent applications for start-ups, obtained key patents for leverage in licensing negotiations, and guided clients through patent diligence in 8- and 9-figure acquisitions. He has extensive experience in patent prosecution, challenging and defending the validity of patents in post-grant proceedings, and patent litigation support.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Director of Operations and Patent Technical Advisor
Dr. Yoda Patta is Director of Operations and a Patent Technical Advisor with Smith Baluch LLP, providing patent and technology analysis especially for the semiconductor, medical device, and biotechnology fields.
Elizabeth A. (Beth) Laughton represents clients in intellectual property matters. She has represented major corporations in intellectual property and technology litigation, including patent disputes before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the district courts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She has also prosecuted patents before the United States Patent & Trademark Office and represented both Requesters and Patent Owners in reexamination proceedings. Ms. Laughton's practice has spanned a wide range of technologies including pharmaceutical methods and products, medical devices, diagnostic methods, steels, software applications, semiconductor fabrication, and business methods.
Ms. Laughton received her law degree from Duke University School of Law in 2009, where she was an editor on the Duke Law Journal and the Duke Law & Technology Review, and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Prior to law school, Ms. Laughton worked on a drug development program for new tuberculosis drugs. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in French Studies from Duke University.
Following law school, Ms. Laughton served as a law clerk to Judge Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Ms. Laughton is admitted to practice law in California, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. She is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Ms. Laughton is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Ms. Laughton is also an avid classical singer, with a particular focus on Renaissance and Baroque music, and performs regularly.
Holly Johnson is an Associate with Smith Baluch LLP. She focuses on patent prosecution, foreign patent protection, patentability analysis, and freedom to operate analysis covering technologies related to chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
Ms. Johnson received her J.D., magna cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law in 2023, where she was an editor on the Administrative Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Ms. Johnson also holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry: biochemistry, cum laude with honors, from Boston University. Her honors thesis focused on the cellular localization, stability, and intercellular targeting of an inflammatory response protein (GPS2) and its regulation of the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) pathway.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Johnson worked in patent prosecution at two Boston-based law firms with a focus on foreign patent protection. She was also previously a Laboratory Technician and undergraduate researcher in a biochemistry lab at Boston University Medical Center where she studied transcriptional regulation of inflammatory pathways using recombinant DNA technology, mammalian cell culture, protein purification and fluorescence imaging. She also worked on protein ubiquitination in B cells using quantitative PCR.
Ms. Johnson has co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals on biochemistry and has presented research posters at conferences.
Ms. Johnson also enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, and baking.
Ms. Johnson is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and and registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
For almost 20 years, Joe Teja has been helping companies of all sizes, as well as academic institutions, to develop intellectual property protection strategies for electronics, photonics, electromechanical, computer-related, medtech and cleantech innovations. Examples of technologies for which Joe has counseled clients on IP issues include semiconductor materials and fabrication, optical devices, machine vision, robotics, biomedical imaging, digital health, controlled environment agriculture, distributed ledger trustless authentication, Internet data security, electric vehicles, photovoltaics, telecommunications, GPS-based intelligent instrumentation, energy demand management and energy-efficient intelligent lighting technologies.
Prior to practicing as a lawyer, Joe was an electrical engineer, optics researcher and inventor; his first-hand experience working on the bench and in the lab provides clients with a pragmatic and intuitive approach to IP. In recent editions of Chambers, Joe has been praised by clients for his "very knowledgeable and very conscientious" approach to patent law. Prior to establishing the Boston office of Smith Baluch with Max Colice, Joe was a partner at Cooley, Foley & Lardner, and Wolf Greenfield.
Some of Joe's representative matters include:
Providing strategic advice on the development and management of an industry-dominant patent portfolio for a solid-state lighting company, leading to a favorable acquisition by a global leader.
Rapidly developing a comprehensive IP portfolio (200+ patent filings in 18 months) for a specialty contracting services provider to the telecommunication and utility infrastructure industries.
Representing one of the world's most prestigious research universities to develop IP protection in multiple engineering, materials, photonics, software, communications and medtech disciplines.
Representing a healthcare tech company in patent counseling and prosecution relating to stretchable electronics for human biometric sensing and healthcare analytics.
Counseling clients regarding expedited prosecution options based on innovative use of Patent Prosecution Highway programs.
Conducting IP due diligence on behalf of multiple investors in various fields, including semiconductor fabrication processes, optical devices and optical signal processing.
Conducting multiple venture-backed startup companies on strategic protection of primary technologies to facilitate further investment and enhance valuation.
Representing a major Japanese electronics company in patent litigation relating to digital image-sensing technologies.
Education
Suffolk University Law School
Matthew A. Smith represents clients in intellectual property matters concerning the electrical, software, medical and chemical arts. Mr. Smith's practice focuses on the strategic evaluation of intellectual property rights, appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and complex proceedings before the United States Patent & Trademark Office, including inter partes review, post-grant review, covered business method patent review, reissue and reexamination proceedings. Mr. Smith has been selected an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property since 2013.
Mr. Smith received his law degree in 1999, graduating first in his class, magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin - Madison Law School. He also served as a Managing Editor of the Wisconsin Law Review, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He holds two undergraduate degrees: the first in Electrical Engineering from the Universitaet Hannover, in Hannover, Germany, and the second in Geological Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mr. Smith is the author of the treatise "Inter Partes Reexamination 2d," published by West (a Thomson Reuters business). He is also the author of the e-book "Design Patents" and a co-author of the chapter "Foreign Discovery" for the BNA "Patent Litigation Strategies Handbook."
Mr. Smith has served as a lecturer at the law schools of the George Washington University School of law in Washington, DC and at the Universitaet Hannover in Hannover, Germany.
Mr. Smith speaks fluent German and is familiar with Spanish.
Mr. Smith is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, California, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Namitha Pillai is a patent agent focused on patent prosecution in technology areas including data protection, artificial intelligence, healthcare systems, cloud computing, compilers, image processing, medical devices, and graphics. She is responsible for preparing and prosecuting patent applications, conducting patentability, validity, and infringement analysis, and managing patent portfolios. She prosecutes U.S., international and foreign patent applications and has worked on numerous appeals at the PTAB. She has also successfully prosecuted a considerable number of patent applications which address patent eligibility under 35 U.