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Overview

For over 35 years, Mary Lou has assisted clients with patent preparation and prosecution, copyright registration, and portfolio management.

Mary Lou's approach with clients is to learn their business goals and then strengthen their positions in their industry by developing strong intellectual property strategies.

She has particular experience with computer-related technologies and systems relating to imaging, video applications, mobile applications, machine learning, various platforms (cloud based, SaaS), virtual currency, solid modeling, simulations and mathematical models. Mary Lou’s expertise spans to medical systems, bio/chemical analyses and processing including bioinformatics and medical diagnostics, alternative energy. Additionally her patenting expertise includes social networks and associated operations, and electro-mechanical matters, with and without a software component. Mary Lou's practice also includes preparing infringement opinions and conducting due diligence directed to computer and software technologies. She advises on open source software licenses and other software licensing agreements. For example, she reviews or prepares IP License Agreements with ongoing software development, End User License Agreements (EULAs), Field Service Agreements for software installed on specific equipment, and Software Developer/Consultant Agreements. 

Mary Lou is a software engineer with experience in numerous programming languages, data analyses, and software/application design. She is familiar with various data structures, compression/ decompression techniques, encryption technology, blockchain, digital signal processing, artificial intelligence/neural networks, machine learning, pattern matching, bioinformatics, video gaming, and computer network/Internet technology.

Mary Lou’s work in patenting technology spans many technology innovations and leading companies in their fields. For Lotus Development Corporation, Mary Lou developed one of the early spreadsheet patents in that industry. Working with Digital Equipment Corporation, she procured one of the earlier patents on fonts for printer applications that became critical in their business. Mary Lou has worked on patents for technologies such as an artificial pancreas for diabetics and educational systems for autistic children. She also obtained patents for some of the first speech-to-text translation technologies. Mary Lou’s patent prosecution work includes prosecuting a U.S. patent on Fast Face Detection by Viola-Jones, which is an authority in the digital image processing field, and prosecuting early U.S. patents for the Alta Vista search engine, which was the precursor of the Google search engine.

Outside of the firm, Mary Lou has contributed to the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA), Licensing Executive Society (LES), the Asian American Law Association of Massachusetts (AALAM) and various start-up accelerator programs. She has been an active supporter of the MIT Enterprise forum by mentoring start-ups and giving patent presentations to numerous audiences at MIT. Mary Lou is a volunteer presenter and member-supporter of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. Mary Lou presented at the Association of University Technology Manager (AUTM) conferences in 2016 and 2017. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of the benefits of patents in an Open Source environment. Mary Lou enjoys the opportunity to speak at local events that show the roles women can play in business careers. She has spoken to many Girl Scout Groups, school groups, and women’s groups.

Since 2018, Mary Lou has received distinction in The Best Lawyers in America® for her patent law expertise.  Since 2021, she has also been ranked by Super Lawyers®, a rating of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Mary Lou Wakimura was selected as a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2023 Intellectual Property “Go To Lawyer” Honoree. In 2023, she also received recognition in Law.com and Connecticut Law Tribune’s inaugural New England Legal Awards, which celebrates professional excellence in law and community impact in Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Massachusetts

Education

  • B.S. in Applied Math and Computer Engineering, University of Colorado
  • J.D., University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Certifications

  • Black Duck Certified Open Source Legal Professional

Speaking Engagements

Professional Associations

  • Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
  • Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA) 
    • served as co-chair of Diversity & Inclusion Committee in 2022
  • Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society

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