Thomas Krumenacher

Strategic patent counsel and team player

Tom Krumenacher advises clients on U.S. and foreign patents. He has extensive experience preparing, prosecuting and evaluating patents for electromechanical, electrical, mechanical and software inventions. The technologies with which Tom has worked include:

• Machine vision systems, methods and related software control algorithms
• Lift truck systems and related controls
• LED lighting for OEM and aftermarket applications
• Printing equipment, including web-based and hand-held printers and related software control algorithms
• Neurostimulation systems, methods and software controls for a variety of therapeutic treatments, including implantable and non-implantable systems
• Industrial automation controls
• Pneumatic valves and pneumatic systems
• Medical benefits software
• Microfiche viewers and associated software
• Video projector systems and related controls
• Aircraft wing configurations
• Water treatment systems and methods
• Modular rock-climbing walls and related accessories
• Woodworking equipment and tools
• Consumer goods

Tom collaborates closely with clients, acting as a member of their intellectual property (IP) team and working to get a precise understanding of how they drive business growth and value through their patent and other IP assets. With this in mind, he develops patent filing, defense and management strategies to align with a client’s business goals.

Tom is the Milwaukee and Minneapolis office chair for the Intellectual Property Practice Group.

• Advising on patent prosecution and defense.
• Crafting opinions on patent infringement and validity matters.
• Providing patent litigation support.
• Developing strategic patent portfolio filing strategies, based on both U.S. and foreign patent filings, a knowledge of the market position of a given invention and a client’s entire portfolio.
• Providing patent landscape analysis, including due diligence reviews and freedom-to-operate reviews.
• Managing IP audits and evaluations, working with clients to make sure their internal patenting processes are up to date, capturing developments going on in their engineering departments and assuring invention disclosures are providing appropriate information with which to seek patents.
• Conducting due diligence and IP evaluations for transactions, developing an understanding of the landscape of the buyer and/or seller for mergers, acquisitions (M&A) and other transactions.