Registered Patent Attorneys

Intellectual Property Lawyers Focusing on Patent Prosecution and Opinions

Practice Areas

  • Application preparation, filing, and prosecution strategies
  • Utility and design inventions
  • U.S. and foreign protection, including practice under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
  • Administrative appeals
  • Petitions and protests
  • Reissues and reexaminations
  • Licensing
  • Litigation Support
  • Invalidity, Non-Infringement & Freedom-to-Operate Opinions
  • IP Due Diligence

Representative Technological Expertise

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Semiconductor devices / fabrication processes and chemistries
  • Medical Devices
  • Nanotechnology
  • Computer Hardware & Software
  • Business Methods & E-Commerce
  • Information Systems & Computer Networks
  • Analog Electronics
  • Robotics
  • Manufacturing Systems
  • Telecommunications
  • 3D Memory Systems
  • Waveguides
  • Hyperbaric Technology
  • Color Image Processing
  • Signal Processing

Our Attorneys

Valerie G. Dugan

Senior Attorney

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Education

  • Franklin Pierce Law Center, Master of Intellectual Property, LLM (1995)
  • Franklin Pierce Law Center, Juris Doctor (1993)
  • Miami University (Ohio), Bachelor of Science Manufacturing Engineering (1989)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • Federal Circuit, S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y.
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania

Professional Experience

  • Principal, Dugan & Dugan, Hawthorne, NY (Since 1998)
  • Sole Practitioner, Valerie G. Dugan, Esq., Tarrytown, NY (1996-1998)
  • Associate, Amster, Rothstein & Ebenstein, New York, NY (1993-1996)
  • Legal Intern, International Business Machines, Endicott, NY (1992)
  • Law Clerk, St. Onge, Johnston, Steward & Reens, Stamford, CT (1991)
  • Manufacturing Engineer, Cummins Diesel Engine, Jamestown, NY (1989-1990)
  • Engineering Intern, Cummins Diesel Engine, Jamestown, NY (1988)
  • Engineering Intern, SKF Aerospace Bearing, Jamestown, NY (1987)

Honors

Co-author of “A Comparison of the Paris Convention’s National Treatment Provision and 35 U.S.C. section 104: Can the Two be Harmonized?” Third Biennial Patent System’s Major Problems Conference (April 1991); Law Review Assistant Editor, IDEA-the Journal of Law and Technology; Research Associate, Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights Research Foundation, Study of impact of harmonization of the patent laws commissioned by the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights; Legal Writing Teaching Assistant, Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Brian M. Dugan, Ph.D

Senior Attorney

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Education

  • University of Connecticut School of Law, Juris Doctor with Honors (1996)
  • Yale University, Doctor of Philosophy Electrical Engineering (1997) 4.00/4.00 G.P.A; Master of Philosophy Electrical Engineering (1994) 4.00/4.00 G.P.A; Master of Science Electrical Engineering (1991) 4.00/4.00 G.P.A.
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering, Highest Honors (1990)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • Federal Circuit, S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y.
  • New York
  • Connecticut

Professional Experience

  • Principal, Dugan & Dugan, Hawthorne, NY (Since 1998)
  • Associate, Fish & Neave, New York, NY (1996-1998)
  • Teaching Assistant, Yale University School of Engineering & Applied Science (1992-1994)
  • Electrical Engineer, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, MD (1987-1992)

Honors

Visiting Lecturer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang University, Xinjiang, China (1996); Advanced Micro Devices/Semiconductor Research Corporation Graduate Fellowship Award (1995-1996); National Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Award (1992-1995); Honorable Mention, NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (1991); Sheffield Fellowship, Yale University (1990-1991); New York State Engineer-in-Training (1990); NCR Award of Excellence in Engineering (1989)

Publications/Presentations

Co-Author, “Temperature-dependent index of refraction changes in BaTiO3,” Optics Letters, Vol. 16, No. 17 (1991); Semiconductor Interface Specialists Conference (1995); Connecticut Microelectronics and Optoelectronics Conference (1995); Connecticut Microelectronics and Optoelectronics Conference (1993); Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (C.L.E.O.) (1991)

Randall S. Wayland

Senior Attorney

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Education

  • University of Dayton, Intellectual Property Law Program, Juris Doctor (1995)
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (1985)
  • Corning Community College, Associate in Applied Science, Business Administration (1982)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • New York
  • North Carolina (inactive)

Professional Experience

  • Senior Attorney, Dugan & Dugan, Hawthorne, NY (Since 2008)
  • Patent Portfolio Manager, Environmental Technologies, Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (2005-2008)
  • Patent Portfolio Manager, Optical Fiber Division, Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (2002-2005)
  • Sr. Patent Attorney, Optical Fiber Division, Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (1999-2002)
  • Patent Attorney, Lord Corporation, Cary, NC (1995-1999)
  • Patent Agent/Engineer, Lord Corporation (1990-1995)
  • Product Design & Development Engineer, Lord Corporation, Erie, PA (1985-1990)

Honors

Dean’s List, University of Dayton Law Program; Law School Honors Program Scholarship Recipient

Areas of Experience

Client Counseling, Preparation and Prosecution, Licensing, Joint Development Agreements, Funded Research Agreements, Litigation Support, Intellectual Property Purchasing Due Diligence

Garry Tuma

Senior Attorney

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Education

  • Fordham University, Juris Doctor (cum laude) (1999)
  • Marist College, Paralegal Certificate (1995)
  • Syracuse University, Master of Science Electrical Engineering (1980)
  • Polytechnic Institute of New York, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering (cum laude) (1978)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • Federal Circuit, S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y.
  • New York

Professional Experience

  • Senior Attorney, Dugan & Dugan, PC, Hawthorne, NY (Since 2012)
  • Of Counsel, Byrne Poh, LLP, New York, NY (2010 – 2012)
  • Associate, Jones Day, New York, NY (2005-2010)
  • Associate/Patent Agent, Ropes & Gray/Fish & Neave, New York, NY (1995-2005)
  • Electrical Engineer, IBM, Kingston, NY (1978-1994)

Robert Nelson

Senior Attorney

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Education

  • University of New Hampshire – School of Law, Juris Doctorate (1993)
  • University of Massachusetts, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering (1986)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • State of Colorado
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • State of New Hampshire (inactive)

Professional Experience

  • Attorney, Dugan & Dugan, P.C., Hawthorne, NY (Since 2017)
  • Partner, Klaas, Law, O’Meara & Malkin, P.C. Westminster, CO (1998-2017)
  • Attorney, Flood Professional Association, Manchester, NH (1995-1998)
  • Attorney, Ferber & Associates, Concord, NH (1993-1995)
  • Electrical Engineer, Raytheon (1986-1991)

Steven Santisi

Of Counsel

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Education

  • The John Marshall Law School, Juris Doctor (1996)
  • Cornell University, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering (1988)

Bar Admissions

  • USPTO
  • Federal Circuit, All District Courts of CA
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • California

Professional Experience

  • Of Counsel, Dugan & Dugan, Hawthorne, NY (Since 2004)
  • Associate Chief Counsel, Intellectual Property, Walker Digital, LLC (1999-2004)
  • Associate, Limbach & Limbach, LLP, San Francisco, CA (1996-1999)
  • Patent Agent, Ladas & Parry, Chicago, IL (1994-1996)
  • Senior Software Engineer, Banyan Systems Inc., Westboro, MA (1990-1993)
  • Hardware Design Engineer, Data General Corporation, Westboro, MA (1988-1990)
  • Software Consultant, TZ Inventory Systems, Ithaca, NY (1986-1988)

Honors

Dean’s List, John Marshal School of Law; Law Review: Executive Editorial Board, JMLS Journal of
Computer and Information Law; JMLS representative, 1996 AIPLA Giles Sutherland Rich National
Moot Court Competition; Dean’s Scholarship Recipient; Law School Honors Program Scholarship
Recipient

Publication

“In Re Warmerdam: When Is a Software Process too Abstract to Merit Patent Protection,” 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 667 (1995)

Reported Case:

Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Calvin Designer Label, 985 F. Supp. 1220 (N.D. Calif. 1997)

Representative Patents

Visit the link below to see a listing of our most recently issued patents.