Carl Kukkonen is a respected leader in the legal field who has been acknowledged three times as one of the IAM Strategy 300: World's Leading IP Strategists. With more than 25 years of experience, he has been pivotal in assisting clients in developing strong, litigation-ready patent portfolios, effectively reduce risks through invalidity and freedom-to-operate analyses, and adeptly plan and execute litigation strategies, including petitions for inter partes reviews (IPRs). Moreover, Carl conducts due diligence for financing and M&A transactions, offers valuable support in IP partnering agreements, and provides guidance on copyright and brand protection matters especially with regard to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
As a member of the Firm's AI team, Carl's proficiency spans high-technology, life sciences, and energy sectors. His high-tech experience encompasses AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) with large language models, and computer vision. Carl has further assisted clients with computer architectures, cybersecurity, robotics, enterprise software, cloud computing, blockchains, telecommunications, IoT (Internet of Things), semiconductors, nanotechnology, optical devices, virtual/augmented reality, and signal/image processing.
In life sciences, Carl has handled cases related to in silico drug discovery, computational biology, digital health, wireless health care, medication delivery, patient monitoring, respiratory equipment, incubators, infusion pumps, physiological sensors, ophthalmic technologies, and orthopedic devices.
Carl's experience in energy technology includes battery and other energy storage technologies, electrical control systems, fuel cells, utility-scale energy distribution, energy efficiency technologies, water and wind turbines, process and atmospheric sensors, solar panels and control systems, and water purification systems.
Experience
Additional Publications
- September 21, 2022
Patent Law Considerations For Drug Discovery Innovations Utilizing Artificial Intelligence - June 2021
Trials and Tribulations - Focus on Digital Therapeutics (Intellectual Property Magazine) - January 2019
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) - 35 USC 101 Subject Matter Eligibility Cases Involving Software-Related Inventions - October 11, 2018
An Introduction to the Risks of AI for General Counsel, Corporate Counsel - June 2018
Protecting Artificial Intelligence Innovations Through Patents, IP Litigator - November 21, 2015
Indefiniteness: Are You Reasonably Certain? - 2014
USPTO Issues Interim Guidance on Patent Eligibility Under §101 - 2011
The Law That Protects the Appearance of Your Website - 2010
USPTO Expands Green Technology Pilot Program to Cover More Inventions, Energy & Clean Technology - 2008
A Look at the Changing Landscape of Patent Prosecution, San Diego Business Journal - 2007
More Companies Seek Patents in Unconventional Areas, Boston Business Journal - 2007
Emerging Patent Issues in Cleantech, IP Law 360 / Energy Law 360 - 2007
Expanding Preconceptions of Patentable Matter, bizSanDiego - 2007
When in Doubt, Spell It Out: Complying with a Patentee's Duty of Disclosure, San Diego Daily Transcript
Additional Speaking Engagements
- October 22, 2024
FinAccelerate: IP Strategies for Fintech - September 23, 2024
IP Protection for Complex AI Innovations in Pharma & MedTech (IPO Annual Meeting) - May 9, 2024
Written Description and Sufficiency for AI Inventions (IPO) - May 7, 2024
Risks, Challenges, and Opportunities Facing Pharma Companies as Drug Development Enters the Age of Artificial Intelligence - March 28, 2024
Generative AI Raising New Copyright Issues - March 28, 2024
BioPharma and AI Patent Strategy Bootcamp - March 7, 2024
Sufficiency of Disclosure for AI Inventions (IPO Spring Summit) - January 17, 2024
Generative AI and the Future of Creativity: A New Copyright Landscape - December 7, 2023
Predictable Arts Patent Drafting Strategies - November 28, 2023
GenAI Year in Review: Intersection of AI and IP - October 12, 2023
Brave New World? Intellectual Property Rights in the Artificial Intelligence Age - October 10, 2023
IP Strategy for Fintech - September 27, 2023
Generative AI: The New Copyright Frontier - June 14, 2023
Generative AI and Emerging IP Issues - April 28, 2023
Software Patents – The Ongoing Saga - PLI Patent Law Institute 2023 - March 29, 2023
PTAB Strategy Updates in View of Recent Developments - March 17, 2023
"IP and the Rise of Generative AI" - USD School of Law Patent Law Conference - January 27, 2023
MedFuel Conference - September 19, 2022
Strategic Open Source and IP Considerations for AI Innovations - June 7, 2022
Strategies for Managing and Protecting Data (Intellectual Property Owners Association) - March 10, 2022
Artificial Intelligence IP and Regulatory Legal Issues - March 9, 2022
Artificial Intelligence IP and Regulatory Legal Issues - January 20, 2022
Intellectual Property Primer - January 19, 2022
AI in Drug Discovery and Development - November 11, 2021
Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery and Development: IP Considerations - November 4, 2021
Functional Claiming for Software Patents: Leveraging Recent Court Treatment - October 25, 2021
IP Due Diligence in Life Sciences Acquisitions - September 21, 2021
Data Issues and Best Practices Related to Artificial Intelligence Agreements (IPO Annual Meeting) - August 12, 2021
Latest Developments in AI Intellectual Property and the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board - August 10, 2021
Protecting AI Innovations - July 29, 2021
Due Diligence Considerations when Acquiring or Partnering with AI Companies - July 12, 2021
Artificial Intelligence IP Considerations in the Biopharma Lifecycle - June 25, 2021
Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery and Development: IP Considerations - June 23, 2021
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board: An Influence on Every Patent Litigation Today - April 22, 2021
AI Systems and Drafting Patents: Enablement and Inventorship - Overcoming Patent Eligibility, Inventorship, and Enablement Challenges and Avoiding Rejections - April 15, 2021
Artificial Intelligence: Enforcement of AI IP and Use of AI in Discovery - April 13, 2021
Brain Interfacing and the Patent System (AsiaIP) - January 28, 2021
Preparing an IP Portfolio for an Exit - December 2020
Strategies for Protecting AI and other Software-based Technologies in High Tech / Biotech - August 21, 2020
Biopharma AI Patent Portfolio Development Strategies - July 2, 2020
Claim Drafting for U.S. Patent Applications in Electrical, Software, and Mechanical Technologies - June 25, 2020
Healthcare on the Other Side: Telehealth: Evolving to the Virtual Care of Tomorrow - June 8, 2020
AI Innovations: To Patent or Not to Patent? - May 11, 2020
The Allure of Trade Secrets: KnowIt - March 26, 2020
Protection of Digital Health Innovations - February 2020
Life & Medical Science AI Patent Protection Trends - January 23 2020
Addressing Bias in Artificial Intelligence Systems - November 12, 2019
AIPLA Artificial Intelligence and IP Workshop Road Show: Protection of Machine Learning Training Data - August 1, 2019
Strategies for Protecting AI Innovations - June 2019
IP Protection Trends in Artificial Intelligence, Bulgaria - June 2019
IP Protection Trends in Artificial Intelligence, Germany - June 2019
IP Protection Trends in Artificial Intelligence - June 2019
Artificial Intelligence: Emerging Issues and Strategic IP Protection - September 20, 2018
IP Protection for Artificial intelligence and Big Data Innovations in the Life Sciences, Boston Bar Association Life Sciences Conference - September 2018
Patent Strategies for Medical Technologies Utilizing Artificial Intelligence - July 2018
Artificial Intelligence Deployed in Medical Devices: Patent Strategies and Challenges - April 2018
Patent Claim Drafting for Software / Artificial Intelligence Technologies (University of California, San Diego) - January 23, 2018
Protecting Your AI-Related Innovations: Trade Secrets or Patents? - June 2017
Big Data and Cloud Computing: Strategies for Patent and Trade Secret Protection - January 2017
Strategic Patent Protection of Software and AI-Based Innovations - November 2016
Litigation-Focused Patent Prosecution - October 2016
Update On Patentability Of Computer Implemented Inventions - May 2016
Update on U.S. Protection of Computer Implemented Inventions - January 20, 2016
Recent Developments in IP Law and Their Implications - November 17, 2015
IP ConfEx: Becoming a Better IP professional and Legal Advisor: Soft Skills for Navigating a Contentious, Globalized Environment
- The George Washington University (J.D. with honors 1998); Harvey Mudd College (B.S. in Engineering 1995)
- California and registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Legal extern to Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Fall 1996)
IAM Strategy 300: World's Leading IP Strategists (2022-2024)
IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders (2024)
The Best Lawyers in America: patent law, copyright law, and intellectual property litigation (2018-2025)
Southern California Super Lawyers (2015-2021), including named among the Top 50 Attorneys in San Diego four times
Twice named among Top 25 Portfolio Managers/Patent Prosecutors in California, Daily Journal
Named Top Attorney eight times by the San Diego Daily Transcript
- Legal extern to Judge Randall R. Rader, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit (Fall 1997)