Brian Burkinshaw - Owner, Founder
Brian Burkinshaw is an inventor and registered US Patent Agent with over 10 years of experience practicing patent law. To his credit, Brian spent nearly six years practicing patent law with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati PC, a National Tier 1 firm in Patent law, with global reach in the US, Europe and Asia. WSGR is consistently recognized as the top biotech IP firm in the country with over 180 experienced patent attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors, most of whom possess Ph.D. or other advanced degrees in such areas as biology, chemistry, immunology, biomedical sciences, engineering, or other scientific fields. As a member of the Patents and Innovations team with WSGR, Brian routinely performed patentability searches and landscape analyses, but more importantly, developed a keen a focus on drafting and prosecution of patent applications, primarily involving mechanical, medical, and biotech devices, technologies and processes, personally drafting nearly 300 applications and helping his clients acquire over 150 high-quality patents. Some of the patented technologies acquired for his clients include next generation automotive variator transmissions, Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor technologies, high-tech sports gear and training equipment, advanced, high volume, indoor and hydroponic farming technologies, downhole drilling and fluid recovery technologies, fermentation technologies, programmable technologies, and a virtual plethora of medical implants, instruments and medical device technologies.
In addition to patent prosecution, Brian taps into over 30 years of industry experience in power generation, machining, machine tools, manufacturing, and biomechanical design engineering, as well as a managing team member in two medical device start-ups and a boutique VC firm to provide advice to clients on design, business development and commercialization strategies, and assists clients with maximizing the potential commercialization of their IP portfolios.
Brian earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Cleveland State University, (Fenn College of Engineering), and his M.S. in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin, (McCombs School of Business).
Prior to establishing Clearpat Services, Brian enjoyed a diverse and successful engineering career, spanning more than 30 years in industry.
- Mechanical Engineering experience includes production engineering in steam power generation, manual and numerical controlled machine tools, and oil field tooling.
- Biomedical Engineering experience includes design, development, production, and ultimately, executive management, involving a myriad of new technologies and devices including: prosthetic heart valves, knees and shoulders, sports medicine implants, biologic combination devices, spinal implants and surgical instrument systems.
- Brian has been a partner in a venture capital firm responsible for the formation and management of two start-up ventures: One involving a biologic treatment to slow and potentially reverse degenerative disc disease; the other involving the development of lumbar and cervical artificial spinal discs and next generation spinal fusion products.
- Brian is a named inventor on more than 50 issued and pending US and International patents. He was recognized for being among the top 100 inventors in orthopedics and among the top 20 reconstructive innovators (1971 – 2000).* He also has management experience involving patent portfolios involving more than 300 patents.
- He is a Patent Agent, registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Active Memberships: American Intellectual Property Law Association; Austin Intellectual Property Law Association; Texas Medical Device Alliance.
- Past Memberships: Licensing Executives Society; National Venture Capital Association.
* [Medicine Lodge, Inc.; Orthopedic Intellectual Property Report].
