David Heisey helps startups, growth-stage companies and established businesses build, protect and commercialize patent and trademark portfolios.
A former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office examiner, David brings an insider’s understanding of prosecution dynamics and examiner incentives. He uses that perspective to align prosecution strategy with examiner expectations and convert technical innovation into enforceable patent rights.
Clients turn to David as a high-level patent strategist, aligning IP strategy with business objectives and competitive positioning. He works with leadership teams to identify priority technologies, focus investment where it creates meaningful barriers to entry and structure portfolios that support product launches, valuation and long-term growth. His practice includes portfolio development and enforcement, freedom-to-operate and landscape analyses, and counseling on validity and infringement risk.
David also advises on transactions where intellectual property drives outcomes, negotiating technology transfer and licensing matters—including cross-border deals involving Europe, Asia and Canada—and leading IP diligence in mergers and acquisitions. He regularly represents venture-backed companies preparing for exit, helping position their portfolios to withstand scrutiny in acquisitions and other liquidity events.
Across contentious matters, David represents both patent owners and petitioners in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings and handles patent prosecution appeals before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He works closely with litigation teams in high-stakes and bet-the-company disputes involving technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, medical devices and biotechnology, energy and power electronics, telecommunications, multimedia delivery, data compression and advanced materials.