Pierce Atwood is proud to announce that intellectual property partner Joseph M. Maraia was selected President of the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA). His term began on December 12, 2012. Joe served as President-elect for the past year and was Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary before that. He has served on the Board of Governors for the organization since 2006.
Joe’s practice focuses on all aspects of U.S. and international intellectual property law, including strategic IP portfolio development; patent and trademark prosecution; reexamination proceedings; technology licensing; IP due diligence in corporate transactions and much more. Joe works with companies that produce engineered products, with particular emphasis on semiconductor equipment, power supplies, lasers, image processing devices, optical components, plasma systems, medical devices, alternative energy technologies, financial services, multimedia, multivariate analysis techniques, software and telecommunications systems and software.
Will Worden, the Partner-in-Charge of Pierce Atwood's Boston office, noted that “Pierce Atwood has developed a prominent place in the Boston IP community and Joe's patent practice is a significant part of that success. Joe provides valuable business advice and technical knowledge to our clients to help them leverage the value of their IP assets. I'm sure his knowledge, experience, and leadership skills will make him a very effective president of BPLA as well.”
The goal of the BPLA is to provide educational programs and a forum for the interchange of ideas and information concerning patent, trademark, and copyright laws. Through its Board of Governors and committees, the BPLA organizes and hosts educational seminars, social events and conventions. It also comments on rules and legislation affecting the profession.
Before beginning his legal career, Joe spent more than 20 years gaining practical engineering experience in the electrical and communications industries. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Pierce Atwood LLP is one of the leading law firms in New England and the largest law firm in northern New England with more than 130 attorneys who serve regional, national and international clients from offices in Portland and Augusta, Maine; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Stockholm, Sweden; and Washington, DC. For more information, follow us on Twitter @PierceAtwoodLLP.