Legal Representation for Those Making an Impact

Scott is a patent attorney whose practice includes building and managing patent portfolios for large multinational corporations, small startups, and everything in-between. He has significant patent prosecution experience in a variety of electrical and software technologies, including machine learning, robotics, industrial automation, Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, speech recognition, natural language processing, search processing, image processing, and lighting systems.

Scott works directly with in-house counsel and company leaders to develop a deep understanding of a company’s business objectives – and to ensure that the company’s patent portfolio supports those objectives through a deliberate purpose-driven approach to patent prosecution. Further, companies rely on him to understand and monitor competitor activities, and to ensure the company’s patent portfolio is strategically crafted in view of those activities.

The patent portfolios managed by Scott include large mature portfolios with thousands of patent assets, as well as early-stage portfolios that have been quickly developed for new startups. Further, many of those portfolios span multiple jurisdictions including Europe, China, Korea, Japan, India, and Australia.

While working toward his electrical and computer engineering degree, Scott worked for the U.S. Navy on engineering projects related to a gun weapons system for Navy Guided Missile Destroyer Ships. During law school, he was a quality control engineer for a major consumer appliance manufacturer.

Scott is actively involved in the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), and the volunteer advisory committee for the Beta Theta Pi Housing Corporation in Louisville. He enjoys coaching and other volunteer activities St. Margaret Mary Catholic community and school in Louisville – and spending time with his wife, three kids, and pets.

As a young lawyer at Steak n Shake’s corporate office, I was taught to work with a team for the betterment of the company. Now, I work with my clients, their other outside professionals, and my internal team to help lead large teams in accomplishing my clients’ stated goals. After many years of practicing law, I take pride in knowing that I represent my clients in an honest and thorough manner, and my clients know that I am truly on their side.

In my practice, I provide practical advice to commercial enterprises, ranging from small, closely held companies to Fortune 500 companies. While located in Kentucky, I work with clients nationwide to assist in mergers and acquisitions, financing, leasing, real estate, licensing, and franchising, particularly in the restaurant, construction, intellectual property, and manufacturing industries. I also serve as outside general counsel for several clients, wherein I assist in day-to-day matters, including employment issues, contract negotiations, litigation management, and strategic planning. In recent years, I have worked extensively with multi-unit restaurant franchises nationwide and have been lead counsel in the purchase, sale, and financing of many restaurant companies.

Outside of my practice, I enjoy playing golf, fishing, and hiking.

Siyuan Ge is an associate attorney in Gray Ice Higdon’s intellectual property practice group.  She focuses on patent preparation and prosecution, and has experience in a wide range of technologies including but not limited to: display panels, image and audio processing, machine learning, autonomous driving, medical devices, semiconductor devices, wearable devices, content delivery network, battery, ceramic preparation, gas and steam turbines, antennas, lighting, and chemicals.

She obtained her B.S. in Materials Physics from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and M.S. in Material Engineering from University of Virginia.  Ms Ge has been trained to gain extensive experiental/industrial experience in materials characterization, Li-ion batteries, thermal spray coatings, electrodeposition, and metal 3D printing.  Prior to law school, Ms. Ge worked as a technical specialist in a Northen Virginia IP boutique drafting and prosecuting semiconductor and software-based patent applications for over two years.  She also interned/clerked with firms and organizations during law school to gain additional experience in trademark, litigation, as well as commercialization and licensing work.

Robert Theuerkauf is a registered patent attorney and the Chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group whose practice focuses on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation.  Robert has represented and tried cases for major corporations in federal courts across the United States, as well as arbitration forums, involving a wide range of technologies.  Such technologies include devices and methods in the medical, software, power tool, water sport, lawn care, agricultural, commercial lighting, air filter, and chemical industries.  Robert also represents clients before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Scott A. Stinebruner is a registered patent attorney and member of the intellectual property practice group. He focuses his practice in patent, trademark, and copyright counseling, procurement, licensing and protection, with particular emphasis in Internet/computer software, petroleum engineering software, computer and processor architectures, digital electronics, packaging machinery, e-commerce and business processes.

Dr. Gibson has experience in many aspects of intellectual property practice including patent prosecution, strategic client counseling on patents, inter partes review cases, and patent litigation.  Dr. Gibson is a registered patent attorney and a partner in the intellectual property and intellectual property litigation practice groups.  She assists clients in obtaining, maintaining, and defending patent portfolios in a variety of technologies including medical devices, agricultural equipment, fertilizer compositions, power tools, lawn equipment, consumer appliances, and others.

Dr. Gibson was recently a part of a Gray Ice Higdon trial team that obtained a patent infringement verdict and $11,400,000 in damages plus ongoing royalties for our client.  Sioux Steel Company v. Prairie Land Millwright Services, Inc., 1:16-cv-02212 (N.D. Ill)

Dr. Gibson received her J.D. from University of Louisville Brandies School of Law.  Prior to law school Dr. Gibson received her PhD in Biology focusing on the biogeography and microbial ecology of Pseudomonas sp. and evaluating differences in the distribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in homes with and without a young child with cystic fibrosis.

Melissa Rennirt has worked in the legal field for over 25 years. For the last 10 years, Melissa’s primary focus has been business litigation and intellectual property litigation. Melissa assists in all phases of litigation, from inception through discovery and trial. She has extensive experience in multiple facets of litigation. She currently oversees the organization and management of documents in large-scale litigation, and she assists as Hot Seat operator at hearings and trials, providing the client a state of art representation of their case. Mrs. Rennirt collaborates closely with the trial team and our clients by analyzing and developing strategies in all phases of the case from initial intake through trial and appeal.

Olivia is a second year law student at the University of Notre Dame Law School. Before attending law school, Olivia graduated from Centre College in Danville, Ky where she majored in computer science with a minor in mathematics. In addition to her academic endeavors, Olivia captained the women’s soccer team and was a member of the women’s basketball program at Centre.

After graduation, Olivia spent five years at GE Appliances, a Haier Company as part of the Edison Engineering Program learning the complexities of embedded software as well as the leadership skills of project management. While in the Edison Program, Olivia completed her Masters in Electrical Engineering through the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

In her time at Notre Dame, Olivia has become involved in the LGBT Law Forum where she is now treasurer. She has a passion for bettering the legal obstacles which face the queer community. In addition to her work with the LGBT Law Forum, Olivia is the secretary of the Intellectual Property Law Society where she actively works to increase awareness of and interest in patent law and IP law in general.

At Notre Dame, Olivia is also part of the Journal of Emerging Technologies where she has explored the intersections of administrative policy and standard essential patents. This experience has given her a broad understanding of patent law enforcement and allowed her to see the larger picture in a field with many minute details. Additionally, she is a brief writer on the IP moot court team where she is honing her research and writing skills in a variety of IP cases from all three disciplines of IP.

In the summer following her 1L, Olivia worked as a law clerk supporting patent prosecution on various matters. This experience gave her invaluable first-hand experience following her first year of law school. Olivia drafted claims, prepared office action responses and reviewed patent applications. Her works continues to build these skills.

When not working or studying, Olivia is most often found outside. That may look like cheering the Irish on to victory, wandering through the woods with her wife and their yellow lab, skiing, kayaking, or just about anything else which can be done in the sunshine and fresh air.

Matt Dearmond focuses his practice on business litigation, with experiencing spanning a broad range of business disputes, including breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims, non-compete agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, and more. In addition, Matt has experience in litigating intellectual property matters, general insurance defense, and real estate disputes for realtors, buyers, and sellers.

From corporations to privately held businesses, to business owners and employees, Matt takes pride in his ability to achieve successes for his clients both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. As a business litigator, Matt understands his clients are not in the business to litigate. With that in mind, Matt approaches each matter with an eye toward the most efficient, practical way to resolve the dispute. If the matter cannot be resolved, Matt has the tools and experience to vindicate his clients’ interests in the trial court.

Clients appreciate Matt’s articulate and effective motion practice, founded on thorough legal research, compelling writing, and persuasive arguments in court. They know they can count on him to guide them through complex issues, recommend effective case strategies, and help them meet their objectives, which often include achieving favorable outcomes without having to undertake costly litigation.

In addition, Matt has a strong and growing appellate practice and has handled matters before the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the Kentucky Supreme Court, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

While an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, Matt served as an intern for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission and worked on a state House of Representatives campaign. He continued to nurture his legal and political interests at the UK College of Law, where he served as a member of the Election Law Society and the Kentucky Law Journal.

Matt seeks out ways to use his legal skills to support Louisville’s music community. He is an avid sports fan and closely follows the St. Louis Cardinals and the UK Wildcats.

Marianna Markley is a member of the intellectual property practice group and focuses her practice on matters relating to trademark law. Marianna has experience advising and guiding clients through the selection and clearance of new brands to the prosecution and maintenance of trademark applications and registrations. She prosecutes trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and helps manage national and international trademark portfolios. Marianna routinely works with artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large corporations to achieve their unique goals with the protection and enforcement of their valuable intellectual property rights.

Liz A. Johnson is a Sigma Epsilon Chi (Honors Society) graduate of the Sullivan University Paralegal Studies Program. She is a member of both the Kentucky Paralegal Association and the Louisville Association of Paralegals. Liz plays a key role in document management and discovery in complex litigation matters, from the start of a case through the trial. Liz is well-versed with trial preparation and has managed and created trial exhibits, trial notebooks, and binders while utilizing electronic software. Liz has robust familiarity with creation and issuance of subpoenas, and the drafting of legal correspondence and documents. Liz prides herself on being a team player and doing whatever it takes to get the task done, and to be proficient for our clients.

Lilly is a paralegal in the firm’s intellectual property group and has over 10 years of legal experience. Her diverse responsibilities include legal research and assistance in all stages of domestic and international trademark and patent prosecution and maintenance.

Katie Brennan is a paralegal in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. She has experience in criminal, family, disability, bankruptcy, and tax law. She began her legal career in August of 2018.

Julie Gregory Ray is an attorney in the firm’s intellectual property group, concentrating in the areas of trademark prosecution, litigation involving trademark infringement, unfair competition and copyright law. Her practice includes both trademark clearance and registration, as well as the maintenance and licensing of intellectual property. Ms. Ray’s practice involves both domestic and international trademark law, and she manages several worldwide intellectual property portfolios.

Ms. Ray also advises clients on issues involving the Rights of Privacy and Publicity, intellectual property issues pertaining to social media and website development. Work includes daily contact with clients in both the United States and abroad to develop branding strategies and maintain intellectual property rights after initiation of use. She is a frequent lecturer on issues involving trademark and copyright law.

Growing up as a Louisville native, Katherine knew early in life that she wanted to be an attorney. Her passion for culture and equity coupled with her natural ability to solve problems and advocate for what she believed in made law school the clear path.

Katherine attended Centre College for her undergraduate degree where she majored in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in religious studies. These areas of study gave her the opportunity to study abroad in India, Israel, Poland, Prague and Germany where her love of culture and desire for equity strengthened. At Centre, Katherine was involved in the Law Society and was elected its President her senior year.

Katherine attended Wake Forest Law School where she became involved in the Expungements Clinic, the Black Law Student Association, and the Journal of Law and Policy. By graduation, Katherine had logged over 150 hours of pro bono service through the clinic, most of which were hours spent directly with clients from underserved communities. During her law school summers, Katherine worked at a local family law firm and a mid-sized firm getting hands-on experiences in litigation, drafting, research, and client relations.

Katherine has taken her diverse experiences with her into the practice of law where her main focus is serving her clients to the best of her abilities. She has found a great support system and valuable mentorship at Gray Ice & Higdon. She now practices business litigation where she uses her organizational and communication skills to manage cases through all steps of litigation.

Kate Abbott is a paralegal in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group.  She has experience in Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Real Estate Law.  She joined Gray Ice Higdon in January of 2022.

Joe works with clients to protect and leverage their brands and other valuable intellectual property. This includes prosecuting applications and maintaining registrations with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, registering creative works with the U.S. Copyright Office, and drafting and negotiating license agreements. It also involves taking steps to enforce rights, such as sending cease and desist communications and pursuing legal action with administrative and judicial bodies, as well as assisting clients to defend against allegations of infringement or other violations of rights.

Joe actively manages international trademark portfolios for large corporate clients. For several years, he was integrated within a global company’s in-house legal team to provide the business with intellectual property support. Joe also assists start-up companies, businesses of all sizes, artists, authors, and entrepreneurs with intellectual property, advertising, and technology-related matters. His experience spans a diverse range of industries including agriculture, apparel, software and technology, healthcare, hospitality, food and dietary supplements, alcoholic beverages, consumer products, medical devices, professional services, sports and gaming, and industrial equipment.

Regardless of the size or scope of a project, clients can count on Joe to take a deliberate and cost-effective approach to resolving complex legal issues and to communicate effective strategies to business parties. He also prides himself on providing timely advice and seeking practical solutions to avoid or minimize disruption to his clients’ businesses.

In his time away from the office, Joe pursues endurance sports, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and travel with his wife.

John is a registered patent attorney and concentrates his legal practice in intellectual property, particularly in patents, trademarks, copyrights and computer law. His practice includes portfolio management and strategic decision making for competitive benefit. He spends most of his time advising his clients in prosecution matters, litigation and portfolio analytics.

He files and prosecutes patent applications in multiple technology areas including machine learning, autonomous driving, machine automation and control systems, medical imaging systems including treatment and device control, image processing, and lighting systems.  John frequently works with the engineers and software developers that are directly implementing today’s leading edge techologies.

Prior to entering law school, John worked for several years at IBM in product development, computer software engineering and hardware control. After law school, he was employed in the legal department of a multi-national corporation working with domestic and international patent prosecution and portfolio management. John is active in the AIPLA and regularly presents at various national seminars.

In his spare time, John loves to travel, walk in the mountains and spend time with his wife Colleen and their family.

Jennifer Barbour is a dedicated advisor and litigator, who crafts legal arguments and solutions to help clients resolve complex commercial disputes. She represents shareholders and corporations in derivative claims. She guides shareholders and partnerships through dissolutions, including judicial dissolutions. She defends fiduciaries such as corporate officers, directors, trustees and executors in litigation alleging breaches of fiduciary duties. She also enforces and defends actions arising from non-solicitation and non-compete agreements.

In addition, Jennifer has an active healthcare and privacy practice, advising organizations on a broad range of matters, including employment, HIPAA, privacy, data breaches, security law, licensure, and more. She began her career practicing medical malpractice and personal injury law, where she gained valuable experience representing clients in the courtroom (in both litigation and appeals). She prides herself on helping clients identify and assess risk and creatively overcome challenges.

Jennifer is the author of “Don’t Be ‘Snakebit’: ESI Pitfalls to Avoid,” Bar Briefs (2021), “Advancement Rights in Officer and Director Liability Cases.” Common Defense (2020) and Bar Briefs (2020), “Commercial Motor Vehicle Insurers ‘Beware’ MCS-90 Endorsement Implications,”  The Insurance Research Letter (2016), and “Ex Parte Communications with the Treating Physician in Litigation,” Bar Briefs (2014).

John Purcell is a registered patent attorney and a member of Gray Ice Higdon’s intellectual property practice group. His work mainly focuses on patent drafting and patent prosecution of software patents and robotics patents, as well as patent portfolio review and management.

John emphasizes clear and concise communication with his clients as he discusses complicated patent processes and strategies throughout all stages of the patent process. He regularly meets with inventors to discuss their inventions in detail, and uses this information to draft patent applications that convey sophisticated technology in a succinct and accurate manner. John goes the extra mile for his clients to ensure all deadlines set by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other equivalent regulatory bodies are met. In prosecuting patent applications to allowance, John always works closely with patent Examiners to fight for the broadest protection that is reasonably available, and leverages information learned throughout prosecution in providing thorough recommendations for filing continuing applications.

“John enjoys a good challenge, which is especially helpful when encountering new and complex technologies. He constantly thinks about how the next 20-30 years may affect his clients and their growing patent portfolios, and how he can continue to provide assistance as they move forward in an increasingly technological world.”

During his undergraduate and graduate studies in electrical engineering, John’s coursework primarily focused on image processing, pattern recognition, robotics, and machine learning. During this time, John also worked at ControlTouch Systems, LLC (now Intellimodus, LLC) programming and implementing control systems, including wastewater treatment systems for Louisville’s Metropolitan Sewer District, conveyor belt systems for airports across the United States, and power plant monitoring systems for Louisville Gas & Electric.

When John is not working, you can either find him at home spending time with his family, rooting on his hometown Cardinals, or improving his game on the golf course.

Janis Howard is a paralegal in the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. She represents public and private companies in a broad range of corporate and commercial transactions. Janis has over 20 years’ experience managing transactions and assisting clients on matters including corporate financings, complex real estate transactions, planning and zoning, mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending, and corporate maintenance.

Jason is a non-traditional law student with broad and diverse professional experience in leadership, training, project management, language services, policymaking, the performing arts, and concert production.

Jason has a keen interest in intellectual property, with special focus on trademarks, copyright, entertainment, publishing, and publicity. As a law clerk for Gray Ice Higdon, Jason works closely with the trademark, litigation, and business groups drafting pleadings, briefs, office action responses, and memoranda, researching special topics, and interacting with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office.

Jason has consistently performed at the top of his class at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville and has won Excellence for the Future Awards for highest class grade in International Law & Intellectual Property and Professional Responsibility from the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. Jason is currently a second-year member of the Louisville Law Review, where he wrote about the intersection of publicity rights of tattooed celebrities and the copyrights of tattoo artists. He is also representing UofL in the 2023 Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition.

Jason has an entrepreneurial spirit and seeks to discover creative solutions to clients’ needs. At Brandeis, Jason founded the Legal Interpreting Internship, an interdisciplinary initiative between the UofL School of Modern Languages and the Ackerson Domestic Violence and Mediation Law Clinic. In the internship’s pilot semester in the Fall of 2022, Jason trained an undergraduate student from the UofL Spanish department to provide interpreting and translation services during conferences between student attorneys of the Ackerson Clinic and their Spanish-speaking clients. Jason is also currently developing a first-of-its-kind Copyright Clinic at Brandeis to provide opportunities for student attorneys to represent claimants before the newly formed Copyright Claims Board.

Prior to attending law school, Jason was a manager at the corporate headquarters of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where he developed the denomination’s translation and interpreting services program from the ground up. For nearly a decade, Jason was a staff Spanish-English certified court interpreter for the Kentucky Court of Justice, where he provided language access to limited English-speaking individuals in high-stake criminal, civil, and family court proceedings. In that role, Jason created the Office of Translations Services to translate standard court forms and bench orders into commonly encountered languages, and researched and co-wrote Part IX of the Kentucky Administrative Procedures of the Court governing language access policy in the courtroom. Jason has also interpreted in Federal Court in the Western District of Kentucky and prepared legal and business translations for Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, and international law enforcement agencies.

Jason is also a passionate classical musician, having obtained dual degrees from Indiana University in Spanish and cello performance. Music has always been a part of his life. In 2015, Jason led the artistic and financial revival of the Louisville Civic Orchestra, Louisville’s oldest continuously operating community orchestra (est. 1915). As the Civic Orchestra’s artistic director, Jason raised public awareness of this historical icon, conducted rehearsals and concerts of the orchestra, led artistic programming, engaged guest artists, and produced complex concert collaborations, most notably a WFPK Waterfront Wednesday concert featuring the Louisville Civic Orchestra and the band Jukebox the Ghost.

Jason’s diverse linguistic and interdisciplinary background enables him to communicate effectively with a broad cross-section of clientele. He is equally at ease discussing IP strategy with C-suite executives as he is talking shop with performing artists and creatives. As a future lawyer, Jason looks forward to helping artists, performers, creators, athletes, and entrepreneurs protect their intellectual property, brands, and images.

Jason is fluent in English with near-native fluency in Spanish (minimum 16th grade proficiency). He is a Certified Court Interpreter in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and an American Translators Association Certified Translator.

Jacob Rooks is a paralegal at Gray Ice Higdon practicing in the Intellectual Property Practice Group. He began his career in April of 2019. Prior to working in the legal field, Mr. Rooks was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana State University.

Eric S. Barr is a registered patent attorney in the firm’s intellectual property practice group. Mr. Barr practices in all areas of patent law with an emphasis on preparing and prosecuting patent applications; counseling clients on intellectual property matters; preparing validity, infringement, and freedom to operate opinions; and representing clients in patent matters before federal district courts and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Mr. Barr has experience in a wide array of computer and software-oriented technologies as well as various electrical and mechanical arts, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks, cloud computing, cloud storage, communications, computing hardware, printers, hard disk drives, display technology, controllers, digital circuits, semiconductors, and automotive technology.

Mr. Barr’s practice includes working with clients to implement best practices for patent portfolio management and to understand emerging issues in U.S. patent law. Mr. Barr has counseled a Fortune 500 company on intellectual property integration issues following the company’s acquisition of another major technology company, including compliance with intellectual property requirements imposed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission.

Prior to law school, Mr. Barr was a software development engineer at Microsoft and a web developer at IBM. Mr. Barr has developed web applications for Harvard University and e-commerce web sites for other clients.

JP is a third year law student at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. Before attending law school, JP graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. During his time as an undergraduate student, JP also enlisted in the Kentucky Army National Guard and participated in the University of Kentucky Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant engineer officer in the Kentucky National Guard.

After completing his undergraduate degree, JP attended the Engineer Basic Officer Leadership course in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and worked as a project manager for a general contractor in Chicago. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, JP spent several months with his National Guard unit facilitating emergency response missions across the state of Kentucky.

Throughout law school, JP has remained active in his service with the Kentucky National Guard. He volunteered for active duty missions in response to the January 6th Capitol riots and the Eastern Kentucky floods of 2022. His assigned duty positions have included Vertical Construction Platoon Leader, Engineer Sapper Company Executive Officer, and currently, Assistant Battalion Training and Operations Officer. He has earned several distinguishing awards and honors throughout his military career, most notably the Munson Award, which recognizes him as the top Engineer Platoon Leader in the entire National Guard.

At law school, JP is a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and has served as the secretary of the Tax Law Society. Since the end of his first year, he has worked as an intellectual property legal clerk, focusing on patent prosecutions. Upon graduation he plans to continue in this line of work as a patent attorney.

Outside of work and school, JP stays busy by spending time with his wife and dog. He enjoys traveling, skiing, live music, and being outdoors.

Henry (“Hank”) Alford maintains a vigorous practice focused on corporate transactions – mergers, acquisitions, and other deals – for privately-held and publicly traded companies. Over the past 12 months, he has managed and been a part of deal teams overseeing approximately $800 million of M&A deals, many of which were dispositions to private equity and institutional interests.

In addition, Hank provides a broad range of commercial counseling guidance to clients, with an emphasis on corporate governance, procurement, and supply chain matters. He has particular strengths in guiding franchisees and franchisee associations – quick-serve restaurants, personal and skincare salons, and other franchisees – in their business interactions with franchisors, shareholders, suppliers, contractors, strategic partners, and customers. He helps them establish operations, manage franchisor relations, expand their asset bases, and execute real estate transactions. In the process, Hank drafts, reviews, and negotiates franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, development agreements, leases, and franchise financing arrangements for both franchisors and franchisees.

For other clients, Hank creates, negotiates, and enforces agreements and contracts for the purchase and sale of goods, services, equipment, and technology. He regularly supports their product and services distribution and sales teams and assists in structuring and implementing rationalized and efficient supply chains.

Clients appreciate Hank’s deep understanding of their businesses and competitive environments, his personal relationships with their management teams, and his demonstrated belief that value-added legal services must be result-oriented and lead to the efficient and timely conclusion of their projects. They often ask him, as did one of the country’s largest senior living providers, to fill the role of outside general counsel or act as an extension of their in-house legal departments in the management of their day-to-day business issues. Because he began his career as a commercial litigator, Hank brings a unique insight into the negative effects of litigation on business operations, how best to address litigation when the need arises, and how to avoid disputes in the first place through well-designed contracts and business arrangements.

Elisabeth (“Libby”) Gray assists clients in prosecuting and defending unfair competition lawsuits, including misappropriation of trade secrets and breaches of restrictive covenant agreements, such as non-competes and non-solicitation agreements. Because of her significant experience, she has been qualified as an expert witness in Federal Court relating to the appropriate standard of care to prosecute a misappropriation of trade secrets case. In addition to her work protecting her clients against unfair competition, Libby has an active commercial litigation practice where she regularly handles disputes involving Intellectual Property, complex contractual issues, employment matters, and other business litigation. Libby is often retained to handle “bet-the-company” litigation and works closely with her clients to help ease the disruption of litigation through proactive communication, and creative and responsive guidance. She has tried cases in state and federal courts through judgment (both jury and bench), as well as handling injunction and other evidentiary hearings. Libby also has experience in arbitration tribunals including FINRA and the AAA. Her practice includes appellate work at all levels.

She has particular proficiency with eDiscovery and related technology, and uses eDiscovery to her clients’ benefit. Libby has successfully obtained numerous court orders requiring the forensic examination of computers, smart phones, and other electronic devices. Libby was recently Adjunct Faculty and taught an e-Discovery class in the College of Legal Studies at Sullivan University.

She also recently served as the Chair of the Louisville Bar Association Litigation Section. Because of her vast experience with business litigation, Libby was selected by the Kentucky Supreme Court to serve on the Business Court Pilot Project which established a pilot business courts in Jefferson County, Kentucky and continues to serve in this capacity.

Elizabeth Threlkeld is an associate attorney in Gray Ice Higdon’s intellectual property practice group. She is a Registered Patent Attorney and focuses her practice on patent prosecution and other aspects of intellectual property. Prior to attending law school, she completed a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Memphis where she focused on applying biologically inspired convolutional neural networks to facial identification in the Intelligent Systems Image Processing Laboratory. She additionally designed and taught undergraduate and graduate level coursework in the Embedded Systems Laboratory.

While at Tulane University, in addition to receiving a B.S.E. in Computer Engineering, she developed a passion for robotics and received a minor in Robotics and Automation. Additionally, she had an internship with the Navy Primary Standards Laboratory at North Island Naval Air Station.

Elizabeth uses her background in artificial intelligence, deep learning, image processing, robotics, and embedding systems to focus her practice on developing patents in a wide range of electrical and computer related fields.

Christopher (“Chris”) L. Emerson is a registered patent attorney in the firm’s intellectual property practice group. Mr. Emerson practices in all areas of patent law with an emphasis on preparing and prosecuting patent applications; counseling clients on intellectual property matters; preparing validity, infringement, and freedom to operate opinions; and representing clients in patent matters before the USPTO.

Mr. Emerson has experience in a wide array of computer and software-oriented technologies as well as various electrical and mechanical arts, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks, cloud computing, cloud storage, VR simulation, drone systems, communications, computing hardware, controllers, digital circuits, semiconductors, lighting fixtures, and household appliances.

Mr. Emerson’s practice includes working with clients to implement best practices for patent portfolio management and to understand emerging issues in U.S. patent law. Mr. Emerson has experience working with Foreign Counsel and Foreign Filings to ensure procurement of international protections sought.

While in law school, Mr. Emerson worked for the USPTO as an Examination Intern, where he received training in statutory interpretation, prior art searching, and Office Action drafting. Mr. Emerson was also a member of the Arbitration Moot Court Team and the University of Louisville Law Review.

Prior to law school, Mr. Emerson worked in a variety of occupations, starting as a Cashier at McDonalds, where he would eventually be promoted to a Technical Support role for multiple stores in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky area, and concluding as a plant engineering supervisor at UPS. Mr. Emerson also obtained hands-on experience and training from Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) as an instrumentation and electronics technician apprentice and worked as an electrical engineer for hydro-pneumatic press manufacturer, Tox Pressotechnik, while at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant.

Dennis D. Murrell currently serves as a member of Gray Ice Higdon’s compensation committee. He practices in complex commercial litigation, with a focus on litigation involving intellectual property, restrictive covenants, shareholder disputes, breach of contract, and trade secrets. Mr. Murrell has tried a significant number of commercial litigation cases to verdict and has been lead counsel in dozens of preliminary injunction hearings. He is a commercial trial attorney who combines technology and the art of story to explain complicated issues and facts to juries.

On behalf of corporate clients, he has appeared in state and federal courts in Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Tennessee, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Texas, California, Ohio, and Florida, as well as the Federal Circuit. Mr. Murrell is regularly retained in “bet the company” litigation and other high profile matters, including being retained by the Kentucky Republican Caucus to investigate claims of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Chantel first began working in Intellectual Property as an assistant in 1996.  As an IP paralegal, Chantel is now involved with the prosecution and maintenance of a wide variety of patent, trademark, and copyright matters including those involving software and electronics, computer gaming, and consumer products.  She manages worldwide patent portfolios and works directly with clients and the attorneys of Gray Ice Higdon to ensure patent assets are appropriately maintained.

Chad Bruggeman focuses on patent prosecution and strategic client counseling on patent and other intellectual property matters. He is a registered patent attorney and a director in the intellectual property practice group. He advises clients on domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution. He also assists clients in patent litigation matters.

Mr. Bruggeman assists clients in obtaining and maintaining patent portfolios in a variety of technologies including medical devices and instruments, construction equipment, sporting and outdoor equipment, heating devices, fluid filtration, power tools, lawn equipment, material handling, electronic connectors/cables, and consumer appliances.

He received his J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to becoming a patent attorney, Mr. Bruggeman received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with distinction, from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. While at Purdue, he completed the Engineering Cooperative Education Program at manufacturing and research facilities in the automotive industry.

J. Casner Wheelock is a partner in the firm and member of the business law practice group. He focuses on planning and transactional matters, with experience in negotiating and structuring formations, mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and divestitures, cross-border transactions, private equity, real estate and construction transactions, and general business law matters.

Mr. Wheelock also has an extensive background in both taxation and economic development matters including negotiation with government entities for economic incentives. He represents businesses and individuals in tax controversy matters before the IRS and Kentucky Department of Revenue, including audits, appeals, investigations, collections, and litigation. He also assists nonprofit organizations with formation and obtaining tax-exempt status.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Wheelock practiced as a senior international tax consultant with Deloitte & Touche in Atlanta and a CPA with Coopers & Lybrand in Louisville.

Brian McGraw is an intellectual property and commercial litigator that helps clients resolve high stakes, “bet the company” litigation. Brian enforces and defends the rights of clients in intellectual property disputes, including primarily in patent, trademark, and copyright infringement litigation.  Brian has worked with a variety of technologies within his patent infringement cases and has handled a number of matters in a multitude of industries involving trade dress, false advertising, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation, violations of the publicity and privacy rights, and disputes over the bad faith use and registration of domain names. In addition, he advises business clients on contract disputes and other complex commercial litigation.

Brian’s clients include a broad range of businesses, from Fortune 10 companies to medium-sized companies to individual business owners. He also works with artists, musicians, professional athletes, and other creators, aggressively protecting their interests in both the courtroom and at the negotiation table. He brings a practical, business-centered perspective to solving his clients’ disputes, helping them reach successful resolutions while balancing the significant costs of high stakes litigation.

Corporate and individual clients alike appreciate Brian’s ability to distill complex legal and business issues into clear and simple concepts that juries (and clients) can understand and process. Clients depend on him to design – and execute – winning strategies that help them achieve their objectives in and out of the court room. Brian’s work spans across the country, as he has argued and tried cases in federal courts throughout the country.  Recent trial victories include the successful defense of trademark infringement and unfair competition claims for over $90 million brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware related to the U.S. inland river cruising industry; the successful prosecution of a patent infringement case involving farming equipment technology in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (obtaining a jury verdict of just over $11 million); and the successful prosecution of a patent infringement case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware involving electric hydrofoil surfboard technology (obtaining a jury verdict of just over $1.3 million).

Before devoting most of his work time in intellectual property and commercial litigation, Brian worked in trademark and copyright prosecution and commercial transactions involving IP rights, helping intellectual property rights holders with brand development and clearance, trademark registration in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the licensing and sale of intellectual property rights. He has worked on number of high value commercial transactions.  His prior experience on the business side of things gives him a unique, business and creative-oriented perspective and approach to his litigation matters.  Brian also currently sits on the Board of Directors of Kentucky to the World, an organization dedicated to enhancing the intellectual reputation of Kentucky, its people, and its culture.

Working with startups, small businesses, and global corporations, for over 30 years Amy Berge has provided strategic counseling and business advice on intellectual property, technology, advertising, online privacy, licensing, and related issues. As an advisor and litigator, Amy guides clients through protection of their trademark portfolios – from development and management to exploitation and enforcement and everything in-between.

Amy is practical and looks for cost-efficient solutions. Clients rely on her to manage their portfolios, handle disputes, obtain and maintain trademark and copyright registrations, resolve disputes, and negotiate agreements.

“I typically take a holistic approach to my practice, helping clients solve problems. But when it’s necessary, I will fight for my client.”

Amy has broad experience protecting her clients’ rights in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Amy has argued lawsuits before Federal Courts and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In addition, she has completed mediation training through the Kentucky Bar Association.

Her advice is informed by her time spent in-house, where twice in her career she was “on loan” to key firm clients.

Amy is committed to mentoring and promoting female attorneys and executives. She has served as Counsel for the National Association of Woman Business Owners and for Women 4 Women, a local organization committed to the needs of women and girls in the community. Currently, Amy is a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce and the Jeffersontown Economic Development Authority.  She has also been recognized for her efforts in supporting diversity and inclusion.

Ben Stinebruner is an Intellectual Property paralegal who joined Gray Ice Higdon in December of 2022. He graduated from Centre College with a B.S. in Chemistry and is currently getting a Computer Science degree from Tufts University. While at Centre, he studied abroad in Italy, France, and Spain, helping him realize his love for exploration, culture, and new experiences. These excursions led him to Germany where he worked for the US Armed Forces for 2 years in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and traveled in his free time. He still maintains a deep-rooted love for travel and hopes to visit at least two new countries every year for the foreseeable future.

Augustus Herbert counsels and represents employers regarding State and Federal employment law issues including those relating to wage and hour issues, the FMLA, the ADA, the ADEA, the FLSA, statutory compliance, discrimination defense, restrictive covenants, severance agreements, policy and procedures and other employment related matters. He understands the disruption and burden of litigation and seeks to achieve resolution of issues outside the courtroom – through counseling, negotiation, and mediation– whenever possible. While the goal is always to minimize the risk of employment claims and lawsuits, when matters do reach litigation, Gus Herbert has aggressively defended his clients in litigation for over three decades whether it be in the courtroom, administrative tribunal or arbitration. Business owners, HR directors and in-house counsel appreciate Gus’ conservative, risk-averse counseling balancing the needs of the business with legal obligations; a balancing that was honed while Gus was seconded to a major Fortune 500 company to resolve their employment and business challenges.

Gus also practices in the litigation area. In addition to employment related matters, Gus regularly litigates the full spectrum of commercial disputes in state and federal courts. When not practicing law, Gus is active in the Notre Dame Club of Kentucky and is a marathon runner who has also attended the Kentucky Derby every year since 1993.

Brantley C. Shumaker is registered patent attorney and a member of the intellectual property practice group and focuses his practice primarily in the areas of patent prosecution and intellectual property litigation. Mr. Shumaker focuses particularly on prosecution of patents in computer hardware and software, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, precision agriculture, robotics, process automation, logistics, cloud computing, virtual computing, and security. He has also litigated in the areas of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets and insurance.

Prior to law school, Mr. Shumaker worked as a programmer at Lexmark International and as a programmer and network/database administrator at a printing company. He served as an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon Law School from 2009 to 2011, where he taught licensing of intellectual property.

Anna Deye is a member of the business group. She assists in acquisitions, leasing, real estate, licensing and franchising, especially in the restaurant and manufacturing industries. Additionally, she assists in contract negotiations and strategic planning. Prior to becoming an attorney, Anna received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton where she majored in operations and supply chain management. She received her J.D. from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. During her time in law school, Anna gained experience by working with in-house counsel at various companies.

Andrew Stosberg helps his clients operate and expand their businesses, resolve disputes, and successfully navigate financial distress. His unique background – combining the skills of a transactional lawyer, litigator, and bankruptcy attorney – allows him to solve complex problems and provide creative and practical guidance to the privately and publicly held businesses he represents.

As outside general counsel to businesses of all sizes, he negotiates contracts, resolves disputes, manages employment matters, and oversees a broad range of other issues. He has an active transactional practice, advising on mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of companies and other corporate deals. In addition, he litigates corporate disputes, including breach of contract, noncompete covenant violations, landlord-tenant disputes, business partner breakups, and other commercial contract matters.
Andrew is known for his extensive experience in bankruptcy, corporate debt restructuring, and financial insolvency. He regularly guides secured and unsecured creditors, landlords, equipment lessors, Chapter 11 debtors, creditors’ committee representatives, and asset purchasers through complex individual and business bankruptcies. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Certification as a specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law.

Andrew’s clients depend on his pragmatic advice to guide their decisions and resolve their disputes in and out of the courtroom. They appreciate his relentless sense of urgency and optimism, and his candor and common-sense solutions to their business and legal challenges.

Outside of the office, Andrew is a tireless advocate for promoting financial literacy to Kentucky elementary and high school students. He frequently volunteers for Junior Achievement and the Kentucky Bar Foundation’s Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) Program in Louisville, where he talks to high-school juniors and seniors about the importance of budgeting, loans, and basic finance.