IP Checkups: Competitive Patent Landscape Analysis

Overview | Patent Portfolio Analysis | Customized Solutions | Biographies

IP Checkups specializes in interpreting the complex relationships that exist among patents in a variety of technology landscapes. We analyze the intellectual assets that underlie technology and offer viewpoints and recommendations that enable our clients to maximize returns from their IP investments.

We partner with our clients and identify opportunities for creating value from entering new technological areas and we help determine how to best generate the greatest return from existing patent portfolios.

Our services enable clients to assess the strengths and weaknesses of competing patent portfolios, determine areas in which to pursue new R&D projects, evaluate in and out licensing opportunities, and explore logical M&A and divestiture opportunities.

IP Checkups provides consulting services aimed at aligning a client's R & D activities, business development plans and IP legal rights to develop a coherent and all-encompassing strategic business development plan.

Irving S. Rappaport, Esq. | Patent Attorney/Inventor/Entrepreneur
Co-Founder IP Checkups

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Irving Rappaport has been a licensed patent attorney for over 35 years. He has served as the head of IP departments in all of his positions and consistently allied himself with emerging technology companies. This is evidenced by his career which began at Raytheon in the late 1960's. From there, Irving led Medtronic’s Intellectual Property program in the early 1970's and went on to head Data General’s IP department in the late 70's. He was then recruited by Bally-Midway to chase Pac-Man clones during the first video game revolution and was eventually brought to Silicon Valley as Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing at Apple Computer, where he built Apple's IP department from 1984-90. Irving also spent time consulting for Intel and was VP and Associate General Counsel for IP and Licensing at National Semiconductor in the early 1990's.

With a talent for spotting up and coming trends, Irving identified the need to create tools for evaluating and manipulating patents that would keep the field of patent analysis current with the high tech explosion. Thus in 1992, Irving co-founded SmartPatents, Inc., a start up focused on converting paper patents into an electronic format. This enabled people to begin to develop tools aimed at assessing and manipulating patents in ways never before possible. In 1996 SmartPatents began developing a powerful software platform used for evaluating and assessing entire patent portfolios in their competitive landscapes. In 1998 SmartPatents changed its name to Aurigin Systems, Inc. At the time of its sale in 2002 the company had over 100 Fortune 1000 companies as customers. Irving is a co-inventor on 16 U.S. patents that underlie the Aureka® software, which is considered the pre-eminent platform in its class.

Matthew Rappaport | Co-Founder IP Checkups - IP Analyst

With a strong background in research and analysis, Matthew Rappaport has become one of a handful of people with expertise at generating, assessing, and interpreting reports that highlight relationships between competitive patent portfolios. Beginning in 1999, Matthew began exploring the Aureka® software which is considered to be the pre-eminent platform for visualizing competitive patent landscapes.

Matthew is an expert at manipulating the software to produce pictures and graphics that reveal important correlations and relationships between patent portfolios. Working closely with Irving, a seasoned patent attorney and co-inventor of the Aureka® software, Matthew is able to quickly analyze and interpret relationships inherent in competitive patent landscapes. He excels at presenting simplified, relevant conclusions that offer business and investment professionals in R&D, business development, finance, marketing, competitive intelligence and legal departments valuable insight into the nature and evolution of technological innovation. These studies enable people to literally see how their portfolio stacks up against the competition.

Matthew leads interdepartmental workshops for companies to help them align their R & D activities with their Intellectual Property (IP). Thus, converting their IP into strategic business assets. Matthew has performed a variety of studies in the fields of Biotechnology and Optoelectronics including specific projects related to medical devices, analytical chemistry, drug delivery, gene therapy, cell expression, and light-emitting diodes.

Mark Garner | Director of Operations

Mark Garner manages IP Checkups’ technology infrastructure of tools and databases containing millions of patents and publications. He develops software tools that enhance the quality and comprehensiveness of IP Checkups’ customized technology solutions related to text analytics, patent alerts, and managing IP portfolios. Mark has also overseen projects related to voice recognition, audio technologies and software systems integration.

Prior to joining IP Checkups in 2006, Mark spent five years as a professional audio and recording engineer for headlining acts and major outdoor festivals throughout the country. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma.

Allison A. Ferro, Ph.D. | Senior Patent Analyst

Allison Ferro joined IP Checkups in 2008 after seven years in the Medical Device industry. Most recently she worked as a Technology Analyst for the Strategic Development Group at Nellcor Puritan Bennett, a division of Tyco Healthcare, now Covidien. She was responsible for scouting and evaluating technologies and companies for potential investment or acquisition using market research, valuation modeling, and intellectual property analysis.

Prior to this Allison was an engineer, designing medical lasers and energy based devices for use in ophthalmology and dermatology, including the first three-color solid-state laser for retinal treatments. Outside of her domain expertise in optics, lasers and chemistry where she holds several patents for her work, Allison has worked on projects in diverse areas including nanotechnology, photosynthesis, and clean technology.

Allison has experience managing small teams and presenting technical information to a range of audiences. She is a problem solver who enjoys collaborating with others and combining technical knowledge with business acumen to approach intellectual property issues.

Allison holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a B.A. in Chemistry from Carleton College.

Sam J. Gillette, Ph.D. | Patent Analyst

Sam Gillette joined IP Checkups in 2009. He has 12 years’ experience serving as a medicinal and synthetic chemist in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Most recently he worked as a Team Leader for Plexxikon, Inc., a biotech firm specializing in the discovery and development of small-molecule pharmaceuticals through a novel scaffold-based platform. He was responsible for leading a project in the discovery of two series of potent and selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors for use in inflammatory disease. He also directed the chemistry efforts on projects for aspartyl protease inhibitors for cardiovascular disease and worked on several kinase inhibitor projects.
Prior to this, Sam worked with Covalent Partners, a nanotechnology firm developing novel medical devices. He also worked at Allergan where he assisted with the discovery and development of small-molecule modulators of nuclear hormone receptors for treatment of hyperproliferative diseases; and he worked at the University of California San Diego Department of Medicine lab where he collaborated with a team focused on discovering novel therapeutics for oncology.
Sam is a co-author on more than 10 peer-reviewed journal articles, inventor or co-inventor on more than 20 US and international patents, and has served as a speaker and discussion leader at research conferences. He also enjoys teaching chemistry courses for the University of California, Berkeley Extension and Bay Area Community Colleges.
Sam holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, a M.S. in Chemistry form the University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jacob Winik | Junior Patent Analyst | IT Development Support

Jacob Winik joined IP Checkups in 2008 to support and enhance its patent analytic and IT development teams. Jacob has spent significant time analyzing Cleantech patent landscapes in the areas of hybrid-electric vehicles, next-generation transportation fuels, environmental remediation, and water purification and contaminate detection, among others. Jacob's technical mindset and attention to detail provide a solid foundation for his developing roles at IP Checkups

In addition to patent searching and competitive patent landscape analysis, Jacob offers support to IP Checkups’ technology infrastructure assisting with proprietary software development, patent alerting, database management and development. Jacob is excited about expanding his skill-set and experience as IP Checkups extends its reach in the field of intellectual property analysis and research.

Jacob has a B.A. in Film and Digital Media from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Strategic Resources

Paul Kallmes | IP Strategist

Paul Kallmes has a unique skill set that combines extensive experience managing strategic intellectual property assets with hands-on experience as a design engineer and manager running business operations in a variety of settings. Throughout his career, Paul has consistently provided value to clients whether working as an advisor to VC firms on IP investment opportunities, mentoring domestic and foreign start-up companies in the clean-tech space, or managing business units or licensing programs for public companies.
In his most recent position, Paul worked as the IP strategist and general manager of Lighting Science Group's Custom Solutions design/manufacturing business unit. He managed a group of 45 people and was responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the Custom Solutions business including engineering design functions, contract and budget negotiations, product concept and development processes, QA/QC program development and implementation as well as sales, marketing and project management.
Prior to this, Paul led the Licensing program at Color Kinetics (Acquired by Phillips) a leader in LED lighting technology, where he restructured the company's licensing strategy from the ground up and enjoyed considerable success in making the portfolio palatable to the world-wide lighting industry. Paul worked closely with the company’s patent counsel and executive team and managed all aspects of contract negotiation, partner audits and communications. He co-managed the development of a large patent portfolio at Rockwell Scientific and was an integral member of the team that provided competitive intelligence and due diligence research including intangible assets valuation and assessments to key decision makers in order to extract maximum value from Rockwell’s diverse IP assets. He has provided advice and guidance to numerous VC firms considering opportunities in the LED lighting and other energy-related spaces.