Mary Lou Wakimura
Principal & Chair of the Board of Directors
For over 35 years, Mary Lou has assisted clients with patent preparation and prosecution, copyright registration, and portfolio management.
Mary Lou's approach with clients is to learn their business goals and then strengthen their positions in their industry by developing strong intellectual property strategies.
She has particular experience with computer-related technologies and systems relating to imaging, video applications, mobile applications, machine learning, various platforms (cloud based, SaaS), virtual currency, solid modeling, simulations and mathematical models. Mary Lou’s expertise spans to medical systems, bio/chemical analyses and processing including bioinformatics and medical diagnostics, alternative energy. Additionally her patenting expertise includes social networks and associated operations, and electro-mechanical matters, with and without a software component. Mary Lou's practice also includes preparing infringement opinions and conducting due diligence directed to computer and software technologies. She advises on open source software licenses and other software licensing agreements. For example, she reviews or prepares IP License Agreements with ongoing software development, End User License Agreements (EULAs), Field Service Agreements for software installed on specific equipment, and Software Developer/Consultant Agreements.
Credentials
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Massachusetts
Education
- B.S. in Applied Math and Computer Engineering, University of Colorado
- J.D., University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
Practice Areas
- Copyrights
- Counseling
- Design Patents
- IP Audits
- Licensing
- Open Source Software Counseling
- Patents
- Trade Secrets
Technologies
- Artificial Intelligence
- Bioinformatics
- Biotechnology & Life Sciences
- Blockchain
- Chemical Engineering
- Clean Technology
- Computer Hardware
- Computer Software
- Electrical Engineering
- Internet of Things
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Devices
- Mobile
- Network Infrastructure
- Telecommunications
Certifications
- Black Duck Certified Open Source Legal Professional
Speaking Engagements
- "The Secret to GenAI and Trade Secrets," Speaker, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds webinar, October 17, 2024
- "Open Source Software (OSS) Risks in M&A," Speaker, Boston Bar Association Webinar, October 2, 2024
- "Lean in on Generative AI: Latest Trends and Developments," Speaker, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds webinar, August 22, 2024
- "Generative AI: A Gold Mine for Accelerated Development or a Risk of Copyright Infringement?" Speaker, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds webinar, March 6, 2024
- Mary Lou interviewed for MDG Boston’s video cast series “MedTech Masterminds,” February 2, 2024
- "Startup Funding for Medical and Healthcare Innovations," Medical Development Group of Boston Forum, October 12, 2023
- "Getting from Here to There - Advancing Your Sustainability Solution," UMass Lowell iHub, September 19, 2023
- "Strategic Patent Protection for Medical Innovation," Medical Development Group Forum, October 20, 2022
- "Introduction to Careers in IP Law," Boston College Law School and Boston Patent Law Association, October 18, 2022
- "Patenting Strategies for Entrepreneurs," UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, October 4, 2022
- “Managing Open Source to Maximize Opportunity and Minimize Risk,” UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law Reunion Weekend, October 1, 2021
- "AI and Precision Medicine: IP and Licensing Opportunities," AUTM Webinar, October 29, 2020
- "The Future of Blockchain Technologies," Roundtable Discussion at the LES Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, October 22, 2019
- "Hot Topics in IP and Technology: Open Source Software,"UNH Wildcatalyst Seminar Series, Durham, NH, September 26, 2019
- "Intellectual Property Considerations for Protecting Your Company’s Innovations," MIT Enterprise Forum, Cambridge Innovation Center, March 6, 2019
- "AI and Precision Medicine: Growing IP Licenses and Assets," AUTM Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, February 11, 2019
- "Strategies to Reap the Benefits of Software Patents in an Open Source Software Environment" Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds Webcast, March 29, 2018
- "Strategies to Reap the Benefits of Software Patents in an Open Source Software Environment" 2017 Black Duck FLIGHT Conference, Boston, MA, November 8, 2017
- "Innovating Outside the Patent: Copyrights, Trademarks and Software" Association of University Technology Managers’ (AUTM) Eastern Region Meeting, Boston, MA, October 3, 2017
- “Smart Cyber Security, Patent and Trade Secret Protection for Startups,” MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge/Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds Lecture, Cambridge, MA, November 17, 2016
- “Strategies for Commercial Software Developers Using Open Source Code in Proprietary Software,” Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds Webcast, October 4, 2016
- “Which U.S. Patent Applications Are Getting Granted,” Association of University Technology Managers’ (AUTM) Eastern Region Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2016
- "Block Chain Innovations are Changing the Digital World," Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds Webcast, March 30, 2016
- “Engineering & Intellectual Property Law,” Tau Beta Pi 2015 Convention, Providence, RI, October 29, 2015
Professional Associations
- Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
- Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA)
- served as co-chair of Diversity & Inclusion Committee in 2022
- Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society