Tell me about your background and current IP law practice? What type of work do you do?
I have a background that I would best characterize as hybrid between chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering. I have a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Delaware and spent three years as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow in chemical physics at Yale University. My work as a graduate student and postdoctoral research fellow investigated the role of chemistry and physics in global climate and the development of novel spectroscopic instrumentations for characterizing nanoparticles and molecular clusters.
My practice at Lando & Anastasi, LLP (L&A) is primarily patent preparation and prosecution, but I have worked on post-grant proceedings, legal opinions, due diligence reviews, and trademark and copyright matters, as well. I am fortunate that my expertise in a variety of technologies affords me the opportunity to work with virtually every subject matter group at the firm—from life sciences to electrical engineering and everything in between, and I approach all the work with the same level of enthusiasm.
What inspired you to pursue a career in IP law?
I had an epiphany in my scientific career while at Yale where I was exposed to how academic science was leveraged into the corporate world via technology transfer and licensing. The lab I worked in at Yale had a patent portfolio based around the instruments developed in the lab and I was able to observe how patents were drafted and prosecuted from a high level. I reached out to Yale Ventures and inquired about alternative career options—other than the traditional academic pathway or industrial laboratory pathway—that would best leverage my scientific expertise and writing skills. I soon realized that IP law would provide me with a perfect combination that keeps me engaged in cutting-edge science while having access to the intricacies of how innovations are incorporated into profitable businesses.
You recently passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam. Congratulations! What was it like to attend law school while working full time as a patent agent at L&A?
I attended the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law as part of their Hybrid JD program. This is an online program with requirements for quarterly in-person time at the law school in Concord, NH. Being primarily online, I was able to effectively manage the workload between my full-time responsibilities at L&A and my coursework at UNH. This is not to say that it was always easy, but being able to do most of my schoolwork remotely removed some of the “wear-and-tear” that law school is notorious for. In addition, L&A provides a reduction in the annual billable hours requirement while a practitioner is in law school to accommodate the necessary time for schoolwork, as well as time off to prepare for the bar exam. The firm’s flexibility in this regard was invaluable during my time in law school.
One of the perks of working in the legal profession before and during law school is having a working knowledge of many of the basics of the law while seeing the theoretical treatment provided in law school. My existing knowledge of law, along with already knowing how to critically read and write from my day-to-day work as a patent agent, gave me an advantage that I was able to leverage to make law school more manageable.
How has your role at the firm evolved now that you’re an associate, compared to your time as a patent agent?
As I have transitioned to being an associate at L&A, my role at the firm has evolved to where I contribute more to client matters and interface directly with the clients. I also have begun to take a more active role in marketing and business development and have begun focusing on building my own book of business, which ultimately will contribute to the overall success of the firm. To that end, I recently brought in two new clients, and I am able to manage them on my own for the most part, which is a rewarding experience as a young practitioner.
Additionally, as an associate, I am becoming more integrally involved with our clients, beyond patent preparation and prosecution, which is helping me to learn more about client management and some of the business aspects of law firms, in general.
What have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of working at L&A?
The most rewarding part of working at L&A is the people. I have never met such a wonderfully kind, compassionate, and empathetic group of people anywhere else. I know there’s a cliché about professional colleagues being a family, but here it is absolutely accurate. The firm has been incredibly gracious as I have balanced my professional responsibilities, law school, and my personal responsibilities as a husband and father of three. The firm’s partners have an open-door policy for anyone to ask questions, interact, and build relationships. I could not ask for better mentors and colleagues.
What do you like to do outside of work?
As mentioned, I have three wonderful children (ages 8, 6, and 3) who occupy much of my time outside work with their seemingly endless lists of activities, such as dance, karate, soccer, and the like.
This is not to say that I do not carve out time for myself. When not being an attorney, husband, or father, I spend my time on the martial arts mats. I wrestled from the age of six through my high school years, winning three medals at the state tournament level while also competing in the two Olympic styles of wrestling at numerous tournaments in the off-season. In college, I wrestled for all four years at the Division 1 level as a member of Sacred Heart University’s team. While in graduate school, I expanded my martial arts talents to judo, earning an orange belt. Most recently (since completing law school), I have begun practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu. In short, I keep myself busy!
Can you share a piece of advice or a lesson you learned from a mentor that has been particularly meaningful in your career?
One key lesson I carry with me throughout my time in the legal profession is something I picked up from a partner at the firm I worked at prior to L&A. The advice I received was that it is my responsibility as a non-partner to help manage the stress of the partners. One thing that I do not think people realize about law firms is that each individual partner is a small business owner contributing to a larger entity. In effect, this means that when one partner does better, we all do better as a whole. The partners are able to be more efficient and productive when those who work with them are meeting or exceeding their expectations, letting them drive their business with the comfort of knowing that deadlines are being met, work is getting done on-time and on-budget, and they can trust who is doing the work. I have worked hard over my five years at L&A to make sure that I communicate openly and that I timely deliver drafts and emails to the partners or clients. These qualities not only reflect well on me as a team member and trusted colleague, but they also mitigate at least some of the stress on the partners and help them to run their business more effectively.
About Joseph DePalma, Ph.D.
Joe brings broad and diverse technical expertise in physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and the design and fabrication of complex scientific instrumentation to the firm’s Chemical & Material Sciences practice group. He drafts and prosecutes U.S. and foreign patent applications across a broad range of technologies, including: “green” technologies, medical devices, manufacturing technologies, consumer products, artificial intelligence, and pharmaceuticals. He also provides technical support, due diligence review, freedom to operate, and patentability analyses for clients in a variety of technical areas at the interface of chemistry, physics, and electrical/mechanical engineering.
Joe earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Delaware and was an NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in chemical physics at Yale University. His doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on the role of chemistry in global climate and the development of new spectroscopic and spectrometric instrumentation for the characterization of nanoparticles and molecular clusters. Joe has authored and co-authored original research articles in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Chemical Physics, and Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.
Before joining L&A, Joe worked as a patent agent at a Boston-based IP law firm specializing in the biotechnology and life sciences fields. Prior to beginning a career in the legal field, Joe honed his skills in measurement sciences while working in a materials certification facility performing ASTM and ANSI testing on consumer products; a semiconductor wafer recycling facility; and the U.S. Geological Survey measuring groundwater depth and subsurface ground stability for the construction of new interstate highways. More info can be found here.
