Robert P. Simpson

Biography

Robert P. Simpson, a registered patent attorney and founding partner of the firm, has been practicing intellectual property law since 1987. Mr. Simpson represents individual clients, small and large corporations, and universities, concentrating primarily in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition law. His patent and trademark practice includes counseling, searching and opinions, and the preparation and prosecution of patent and trademark applications, foreign and domestic. He has handled a number of trademark oppositions and cancellation proceedings, patent interference proceedings, patent and trademark ex parte appeals, re-examination and reissue proceedings, and has served as co-counsel in patent and trademark litigation. Mr. Simpson has prepared and prosecuted patent applications in a variety of technical art areas, including the mechanical, electrical, and electronic arts. He as served as an expert witness in both legal malpractice and patent infringement matters. He has been privileged to represent some of the world's leading companies during his career, including General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce plc, Honeywell, KLA-Tencor, and Schaeffler Technologies.

Mr. Simpson received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was elected to Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honor society. Upon graduation, Mr. Simpson worked as an electrical design engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Siemens-Allis, designing polyphase induction motors. He received a Juris Doctor Degree from The University at Buffalo School of Law, where he served as Note and Comment Editor of the Buffalo Law Review, was a member of the Moot Court Board, and was elected to The Order of Barristers for excellence in the art of courtroom advocacy. He served as an adjunct professor of Patent Law at the University at Buffalo School of Law for fifteen years, an adjunct professor of Intellectual Property Law at Hilbert College and an adjunct professor of Law Office Technology at Daemen University. He has lectured at Niagara University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and SBA-U (a service of the U.S. Small Business Administration.) He has also lectured on U.S. patent law to Japanese Patent Attorneys in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan.

Mr. Simpson holds an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell. An AV® rating signifies that a lawyer has reached the heights of professional excellence, and has been recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He also holds Board Certification* in Intellectual Property Law from the Florida Bar. This certification identifies Mr. Simpson as a lawyer with special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in intellectual property law and distinguishes him as a specialist in this practice area. Mr. Simpson has been recognized many times by his peers for inclusion in Business First's Who's Who in Law, recognizing outstanding lawyers in Western New York. He has also been honored many times by Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.

Mr. Simpson is admitted to practice in New York, Florida and before The United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Mr. Simpson is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the International Trademark Association and the Florida State Bar. He is a life senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is a member and former co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Committee of the Bar Association of Erie County. He is a Past President of the Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association. Mr. Simpson is a life member of the United States Chess Federation and a certified director of chess tournaments. Mr. Simpson is also a patented inventor and entrepreneur. The first patent applications filed electronically with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office were filed by Mr. Simpson using software developed for the USPTO by Mr. Simpson and his younger brother. Finally, Mr. Simpson is a published author of two books of short stories, entitled, "Bumblebees & Dandelions" and "And Then It Happened ...". 

In his spare time, Mr. Simpson enjoys chess, philately, bicycling, writing, storytelling and spending time with his family's Shelties, Mia and Cocoa.

*Although fewer than 7% of Florida lawyers are Board Certified and have demonstrated substantial experience, special knowledge, skills and proficiency in certified areas of practice and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law,  Board Certification granted by the Florida Bar is not recognized by any governmental authority within the State of New York.