How Not to Mess Up The Value of Your IP Rights

Our first speaker, Ron Epperson, an IP Valuation expert, will discuss methods used by experts and investors to determine the valuation of IP Rights.

Technology attorneys Alex Modelski and Frank X. Curci will then describe strategies to maximize the commercial potential of your IP rights.

Ronald J. Epperson, CLP, CPVA

Ron is the Managing Director of Intellectual Energy LLC, a boutique intellectual property consulting firm focused on helping clients understand and realize the value of their intellectual property. Intellectual Energy has offices in Sedona and Phoenix, AZ and San Francisco, CA.

Ron Epperson has over 30 years of experience in the creation, development, commercialization and monetization of intellectual property. Ron spent 20 years in various positions in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, including engineering, operations, supply chain, corporate planning, mergers & acquisitions, new product development and technology/intellectual property licensing. He created and ran a very successful technology licensing business for a new polymer product, signing up 50 licensees in diverse industries and geographies.

Ron has spent the last 12 years as an intellectual property and technology consultant, focused on helping clients realize value from their intellectual property. He works primarily in the valuation, commercialization, enforcement and monetization of intellectual property. This includes serving as an “outsourced” Vice President of Licensing, leading fund raising efforts for clients, developing anti-counterfeiting programs and assisting in patent assertion actions. He has also served as the National Leader of Intellectual Property Services for three international consulting firms.

Ron has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Summa cum Laude, from Virginia Tech. He has earned the designation of Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) as well as being certified as a Certified Patent Valuation Analyst (CPVA). Ron is the Chair-Elect of the Licensing Executives Society’s (LES) Clean Tech Committee, and is the Co-Chair of the Arizona Chapter of LES. He is also active in the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section. Ron has served as a mentor for the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET) since 2008 and is a board member and Treasurer of the Verde Valley Regional Economic Development Organization (VVREO).

Frank X. Curci, Esq.

Frank X. Curci is a Partner at the law firm of Ater Wynne LLP. He represents bioscience companies, bioscience research institutions, and high technology companies concerning domestic and international intellectual property and technology matters. He assists these entities concerning patent / technology licensing, research collaborations, other multi-party collaborations & consortia (in the life sciences and high tech industries), sponsored research, technology transfer, other technology commercialization matters, clinical trial agreements, and the overall use of their intellectual property rights. Frank has received the “Best Lawyers in America ®” award from 2009 to 2012 in the Biotechnology Law field and the Technology Law field.

Frank is active with bioscience and technology associations. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Cancer Research & Biostatistics Institute, a Seattle-based non-profit bioscience research institution. He is currently active with the Oregon Bioscience Association and is a member of its Oregon Biotech Roadmap Committee. In 2010 he was the Vice Chair of the Arizona BioIndustry Association (AZBIO) and was a member of its statewide Board of Directors.

Since 1996, Frank has been an Adjunct Professor of Law teaching intellectual property law courses at California, Oregon and Arizona law schools. He currently is an Adjunct Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches "Licensing & Technology Transfer." Recently, he was an Adjunct Professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law at Arizona State University, where he taught "High Technology Licensing." Prior to that he taught intellectual property courses at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California.

Earlier in his career Frank was a “Visiting Attorney” at a Tokyo, Japan law firm his practice has had an international component since that time.

Alex Modelski, Esq.

Alex Modelski is a Partner in Ater Wynne’s Business Group who began his legal career at Texas Instruments and has spent the last fifteen years advising emerging technology and other high growth companies. Alex provides legal advice and assistance in connection with business formation

(corporations, limited liability companies (LLC), partnerships and joint ventures), funding, acquisition and sale of private companies, contract drafting and negotiation, technology licensing, copyright and trademark filing and licensing, patent licensing, computer, multimedia and internet law, antitrust, trade secret and privacy law, nondisclosure and assignment of inventions agreements, website hosting and development agreements, distribution and reseller agreements, leases.

Alex also provides employment law and human resource consulting regarding non-compete, non-solicitation, non-interference, stock options and other incentive plans, employment investigations and disputes.

Alex is located in the Seattle offices and also sees clients in Bellevue on appointment.