Michael Shepherd focuses his intellectual property practice on helping companies build and execute strategic patent programs, particularly for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other advanced computer technologies.
Michael regularly helps companies establish a proactive and systematic patent program. He works with clients to identify the key business and technical personnel who should participate in patent decision-making, establish patent committees, develop invention-harvesting and disclosure processes, prioritize inventions for protection, and build patent portfolios that align with the company’s business and technology goals. He has particular experience helping emerging and growing technology companies establish patent programs from the ground up.
Michael has extensive experience obtaining patents for complex and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, next generation computer architecture and chip design, graphics processing units, cloud and distributed computing, distributed databases, and robotics.
His technical background includes work as an embedded software engineer on radar and sonar systems at Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.