Overview
Mike D. Webb is an associate in Sterne Kessler’s Mechanical & Design Practice Group. His practice includes all stages of patent prosecution, from initial application preparation to final issuance of the patent. He also works on post-grant proceedings, including inter partes reviews and ex parte reexams, as well as conducting freedom to operate analyses, preparing product clearance, validity, and non-infringement opinions, and drafting license agreements. He has experience across multiple industries including, aerospace power systems, consumer products and processes, food and beverage devices, medical devices, semiconductors, and automotive components and systems.
Mike is a PTAB Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP) participant. The program provides associates with training and development opportunities in PTAB proceedings, including oral argument, that have helped Mike obtain important patent protection for clients.
Prior to joining Sterne Kessler, Mike was an engineer at Rolls-Royce, where he gained technical expertise across multiple areas of the gas turbine engine. Mike served as Chief of Technology for structures and transmission components, leading the development of technology strategies for components and subsystems. In this role, Mike launched new research work packages and managed the associated patent portfolio. Mike also fostered a culture of innovation among his engineering teams by implementing new tools, conducting patent workshops, and delivering training on patents and innovation. These initiatives doubled the number of inventive concept submissions by engineering teams within a year of launching.
As an engineer, Mike was a named inventor on several patents and gained extensive knowledge of the design process, finite element stress analysis, and manufacturing techniques. Mike also drafted technical requirements for engineering projects, providing him with firsthand insight into how engineers solve complex problems, in novel ways, to meet project goals. Mike’s engineering background, combined with his current legal work at Sterne Kessler, gives him a unique, dual perspective on the innovation process—from idea generation to intellectual property protection.
Mike received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of Law with a certificate in Intellectual Property. During law school, he worked as a research assistant to support the launch of the Intellectual Property Clinic that now helps community inventors and startup companies obtain patent and trademark protection. Mike received his Masters in mechanical engineering, first class honors, from the University of Bristol, England. He is also a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Education
- J.D., Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, summa cum laude
- M.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, First Class Honors