Tom Dickson

Tom Dickson is a Principal and the CEO and managing partner at Patterson Thuente IP. A seasoned litigator and experienced practitioner in areas of IP prosecution and strategy development, Tom is appreciated by clients for his business-oriented approach. He has a rich and diverse background from which to draw as he helps clients develop practical business strategies that focus on market potential.

Tom excels in due diligence on both corporate acquisitions and litigation strategies; business valuation; licensing and agreements; portfolio management; and joint development. Tom’s practice emphasizes patent prosecution, IP portfolio management, patent opinions, enforcement of IP rights and counseling clients on international IP strategies. He is also the chair of the firm’s trademark department and provides clients with sound strategies for developing, managing and enforcing their trademark portfolios.

REPRESENTATIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE

• Agricultural Products
• Medical Devices
• Defense contractor applications and projects
• HVAC Products
• Oil Production Strategies

BACKGROUND

Tom’s diverse background includes serving as a project manager on “Star Wars” programs for the U.S. Air Force, working on technology that involved space- and ground-based laser systems and various shuttle-launched experiments. Before being recruited to the firm, Tom was a registered investment advisor and member of an investing team for RBC Dain Rauscher. He also gained valuable litigation experience at a Minneapolis-based, national litigation firm. There, he represented businesses, insurance companies and individuals in cases involving fires, explosions and structural collapses throughout the country.

CASE STUDIES

• Developed portfolio management protocols for corporate clients, including disclosure and approval guidelines
• Defended a software distributor against a major software company—achieved a favorable settlement after disputing plaintiff’s discovery requests
• Represented a manufacturer of automatic external defibrillators (AED) against industry infringers—case settled upon successful negotiation of licenses
• Defended a production studio on copyright and breach of contract claims, which resulted in a verdict for the defense after a six day trial