Scott J. Popma, Managing Partner

1 202 251 0874
scott.popma@ballastiplaw.com

Scott is an industry leader on issues surrounding the intersection of intellectual property law and emerging technologies and advises clients on a wide variety of IP legal issues including licensing, freedom to operate, portfolio and landscape analysis, litigation strategy, patent prosecution, and monetization. 

Scott has extensive experience in counseling on IP issues across a broad variety of technologies, and in the bio field has represented major innovative pharmaceutical clients, genetically modified seed companies, and food processors, among others. Scott has also represented large defense contractors, telecommunication companies, and data trading platforms.  He has also counseled smaller technology hardware and software based start-ups.

Prior to founding Ballast IP Law, Scott was a Partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP where he amassed over 16 years of experience in all aspects of obtaining and enforcing patents.  Prior to entering law school, Scott spent four years working on the Human Genome Project and performed one year of cancer research at the University of Michigan.

Bar and Court Admissions: California; District of Columbia; U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit; U. S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Federal Claims; U.S. District Court, N.D. of California; U. S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Education: University of Michigan, B.S. Cellular and Molecular Biology, 1995; University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1998.

Select Publications: 

  • Your Creative, Open Hackathon is Ripe for Ownership Disputes, Wired.com, July 22, 2013

  • Freedom to Operate Analysis Could Be Key to Crowdfunding Success, BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, May 31, 2013

  • Changes in the Gaming Industry Call for New Strategies for Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement, Gamasutra, April 19, 2013 

  • Patent Valuation During a Crowdfund Offering, Financier Worldwide, September 25, 2012

  • Bayh-Dole: Statute, Regulation and Implications for Government Contractors, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, July 2012

  • Legal Maneuvers: Litigation Strategies and Interpretations Dominate the Process for Abbreviated New Drug Applications, Drug Discovery & Development, October 2009

Speeches and Presentations:

  • "Managing Conflicts Of Interest and Compliance Issues in University Crowdfunding" Technology Transfer Tactics Webinar; March 3, 2015

  • "Getting Funded: Traditional v. Aleternative Sources of Capital" American Chemical Society Entrepreneurial Summit  Washington, D.C.; October 14, 2014

  •  "Legal Considerations for Swedish Companies Entering the US Market" NUWA Delegation,  Washington, D.C.;  May 27, 2014.

  • "Crowdfunding for University Start-Ups in 2014: Opportunities and Risks"Technology Transfer Tactics Webinar, January 16, 2014

  • "Equity Crowdfunding Progress on SEC Rulemaking, State's Securities Boards and Discussion on Fraud and Other Concerns" the PIPES Conference, New York, NY; November 4, 2013

  • In-House Counsel Workshop "How to Monetize Patent Portfolios" The Monetization Summit, New York, NY; April 23-24, 2013

  •  "Intellectual Property, Understanding Copyrights and Patents" Crowdfunding Conference, San Francisco, CA; October 15, 2012

 

Press Mentions:

  • New Reg A+ Rules From the SEC Broaden Access to Capital, Technology Transfer Tactics, May 2015

  • Backers With Benefits: Why Companies Are Outsourcing To Kickstarter,  MIT Technology Review, February 11, 2013. 

  • Playing to the Crowd, IAM MAGAZINE, September 2013