The farm
Tom grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Lincoln County, South Dakota where he learned how to "farmer fix" almost anything to keep it working and where he learned the value of hard work, family, friends.
Thirty years as patent counsel for people who build machines
Patent counsel for the people who build the machines.
About Thomas J. Oppold's practice
The engineering
Tom has a BS in Agricultural Engineering from South Dakota State University. From 1989-1995, Tom worked as a structural engineer for Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. designing plate steel, structural steel and concrete structures, becoming adept at CAD and gaining invaluable in-field fabrication and construction experience.
The law
Tom obtained his law degree from Drake University in 1997. Within two years of graduating law school, Tom successfully tried his first patent infringement case, Carlson v. Chief Automotive, and successfully argued in favor of the plaintiff in the "landmark" en banc Federal Circuit decision Midwest Ind. v. Karavan Trailers. While currently focusing primarily on patent prosecution before the USPTO and foreign patent offices, Tom continues to be involved in litigation.
Practice Areas
Patents
Preparation, filing & prosecution of patent applications before the USPTO and international and foreign patent offices
Post-Grant Patent Proceedings
Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings, Post Grant Review (PGR), Ex Parte Reexaminations
Trademarks & Trade Dress
Trademark prosecution, TTAB opposition proceedings, trademark and trade dress clearance and validity analysis
Licensing & Technology Transfer
Drafting and negotiating intellectual property license agreements, assignment agreements and technology transfer agreements