Frost Brown Todd Cincinnati Adds 8 Intellectual Property and Emerging Business Attorneys

April 24, 2023, Cincinnati, OH: Frost Brown Todd (FBT) continues to position itself as the market leader in the emerging business and intellectual property (IP) space by adding eight partner attorneys to its Cincinnati office. The group is made up of IP litigators, patent prosecutors and business attorneys in the emerging business, middle market, public company and venture capital space. They include Vance VanDrake and Zach Bahorik who were co-leaders of their previous firm’s Venture Law practice, Eric Robbins who was the leader of his previous firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology practice group, IP litigators Paul Ulrich and John Bennett, and patent attorneys Clay Kuhnell, Duke Haugh, and Seth Voit.

“Exciting doesn’t begin to sum up what bringing on these eight new attorneys means for Frost Brown Todd’s IP and venture capital practices,” said FBT Cincinnati Partner-in-Charge Chris Habel. “As a group, they have an incredible breadth of talent, not only advising on strategies and protecting IP, but handling all aspects of corporate and financing transactions in the venture capital, middle market and emerging business space. Their experience, combined with the well-respected services our IP and venture capital attorneys already provide, make Frost Brown Todd the go-to firm and trusted advisor in our market. Our strategy is focused on manufacturing, technology and innovation, especially in the middle market. That’s driving our regional economy now and for the foreseeable future. These eight attorneys fit perfectly with that strategy. Frost Brown Todd is now in 16 markets, not only in the Midwest, but Texas and California too. ”

These new partners will complement FBT’s growing IP team, which includes numerous talented attorneys practicing in all areas of IP and technology. The existing FBT IP team includes eight trademark attorneys ranked in the World Trademark Review 1000 from across the firm’s Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio offices. Five are ranked in Chambers for IP.

“We are very excited to welcome our new partners to Frost Brown Todd and our IP team,” shared FBT’s IP practice group leader Barry Visconte. “This talented group of IP litigators and transactional attorneys brings sophisticated clients along with the expertise, experience, and energy to help these and other Frost Brown Todd clients deliver exceptional results within their businesses and to their customers.”

They will also add considerable experience to FBT’s Private Equity group, which includes nearly 100 attorneys in the firm’s Texas, West Virginia, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky offices.

“Frost Brown Todd’s Private Equity and Venture Capital teams have set a goal of becoming the gold standard for the middle market,” said FBT Private Equity industry team leader Eddy Moore. “Adding the experience of Vance and Zach makes us one step closer to achieving that goal. I look forward to getting to work with them.”

Vance V. VanDrake III  is well-known for his work as an IP law and venture attorney representing startups, investors, and business leaders in Cincinnati, across the U.S., and abroad. He helps his venture clients develop comprehensive intellectual property strategies to maximize enterprise value for funding, growth, and acquisition. VanDrake is the author of The Patent Game, a book that gamifies the patent process for entrepreneurs, the co-founder of three startup companies, and an active angel investor.

Zachary Bahorik is licensed to practice in both Ohio and Kentucky. He focuses his practice on the corporate and transactional needs of venture-backed companies, investors, and investment funds, working with founders at all stages of building their businesses. Bahorik has a unique understanding of both the company and investor sides of fundraising and exit transactions having served as a fund manager for a series of private investment funds that invested in early-stage companies through a Cincinnati accelerator. He works with individual investors and investor syndicates to execute deals.

Eric M. Robbins is a highly experienced intellectual property lawyer who delivers exceptional client service, results, and value to a wide range of sophisticated clients in industries spanning consumer goods, toys, chemical products, electronics, electronic instrumentation, wire and cable products, medical equipment, packaging, tools, IOT, and other cutting-edge technologies. He takes the time to understand his clients’ objectives and tailors his strategies to meet their goals. With a global perspective acquired by overseeing entire international patent portfolios of several corporate clients, Eric brings an innovative approach to establishing, preserving, defending, and commercializing proprietary IP rights. Prior to his legal career, Robbins worked as an applications engineer in the industrial control industry.

John F. Bennett is a distinguished patent litigator with a strong background in intellectual property law. His experience spans numerous technologies and courts, including federal district court, PTAB, TTAB, and the ITC. Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, Bennett has earned multiple “Lawyer of the Year” awards, including Cincinnati Patent Litigator of the Year for the past two years. He also acts as monitoring counsel for patent litigation insurers. Bennett is the Co-Chair of the Cincinnati Bar Association’s IP Litigation Committee and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Paul M. Ulrich assists clients in strategically protecting and enforcing their intellectual property.  He is skilled in the procurement and management of large, international patent and trademark portfolios for a variety of industries such as packaging, consumer products, manufacturing, medical device, power generation, lighting, and hydroponics. Clients turn to Ulrich to enforce and defend their patent rights and products through post grant proceedings before the USPTO, patent litigation, Amazon patent enforcement proceedings, settlement negotiations, and patent opinions. His in-house patent experience for an international consumer products company and hands-on operations management background for a Fortune 500 utility company allow him to provide immediate value to clients.

Clayton L. Kuhnell counsels clients in a broad range of industries, including agricultural, manufacturing, chemical, healthcare, consumer product, bioscience and technology. Kuhnell assists his clients make intelligent business decisions when it comes to intellectual property — from securing and valuing important IP rights to due diligence reviews/audits, to monetization and enforcement. He oversees global patent portfolios for corporations and prepares and facilitates ongoing prosecution of patent applications before the USPTO and all international patent offices. He has patent litigation and enforcement experience before U.S. federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and the USPTO.  Kuhnell has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law offering a seminar focused on the importance of intellectual property.

Lucas V. (Duke) Haugh is a registered patent attorney who counsels a wide variety of clients, ranging from Fortune 50 companies to small and mid-sized businesses, in all phases of intellectual property law including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. His patent practice includes the building and management of international patent portfolios in the gaming, casino, and financial services industries. He also routinely assists clients with building intellectual property protection in a variety of different technology fields, including computer science, electrical, and mechanical arts. Beyond patent portfolio management, Haugh also provides intellectual property litigation support in federal and International Trade Commission cases, including patent claim construction analysis and patent validity studies.

Seth A. Voit prepares and facilitates ongoing prosecution of patent applications at the USPTO in the electrical, mechanical, and computer science industries. Prior to becoming an attorney, Voit was an electrical engineer with a major investor-owned electric utility in the U.S. While there, he was responsible for the development and maintenance of control systems, data acquisition units, and computer systems for power delivery.

About Frost Brown Todd:

Frost Brown Todd is a full-service national law firm serving some of America’s top corporations and emerging companies. With attorneys regularly identified by clients, peers and industry organizations as leaders in their practice areas, the firm advises and protects clients in business transactions and litigation in many industries, including insurance, financial services, manufacturing, real estate, construction, technology, energy and health care. Following its recent merger with California-based AlvaradoSmith, the firm’s more than 575 attorneys in 16 offices across California, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia provide unparalleled service to meet clients’ needs; deliver the insights and solutions available only from a diverse group of professionals; and support the communities in which they operate.

For more information, contact: Jaimie Schapker, Frost Brown Todd LLP, 3300 Great American Tower, 301 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202, 502.779.8698, [email protected]