Jeremy M. Stipkala, Ph.D., J.D.

Jeremy M. Stipkala specializes in intellectual property legal services relating to chemistry, pharmaceuticals, software, medical devices, and simple mechanical inventions, and registers trademarks and copyrights.  Dr. Stipkala prepares and negotiates contracts such as licenses and corporate formations with an eye on investment, monetization, and exit.  When push comes to shove, he litigates to aggressively protect clients’ intellectual property rights, and to vigorously defend clients against the overextension of others’ rights. Finally, he manages Thrive IP®, a growing intellectual property law firm headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Dr. Stipkala has spent over twenty years helping clients protect their intellectual property. He started his career in patent law with the leading intellectual property law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Then he launched Stipkala LLC (now doing business as Thrive IP®) as a solo practice, and has grown it into a firm founded on a service-centered paradigm. Dr. Stipkala has first-chaired and participated in several major litigations and trials, prosecuted numerous U.S. patent applications to issuance, registered several trademarks and copyrights, and provided opinions at the intersection of patent law and technology. On the corporate law side, Dr. Stipkala has guided complex deals involving angel and venture capital investment, corporate structuring to manage intellectual property assets, tax credit qualification to preserve capital, and world-wide intellectual property licensing.

Dr. Stipkala obtained his B.S. cum Laude in Chemistry from Juniata College and Leeds University, England, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D., both in Chemistry, from The Johns Hopkins University. His Ph.D. thesis, entitled Dye-Sensitization of Nanocrystalline Semiconductor Electrodes, presents solar energy research driven by a life-long desire to help preserve the environment for comfortable human habitation. Attending classes at night, Dr. Stipkala acquired his J.D. with High Honors from The George Washington University Law School, where he finished in the top 8% of his class (day and evening division). Dr. Stipkala has taught Patent Prosecution as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law.

Dr. Stipkala is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the Virginia Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; and he is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

• Lowcountry Influentials, 2023.
• Order of the Coif, The George Washington University Law School.
• American Bar Association/Bureau of National Affairs Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law, The George Washington University Law School.
• Who’s Who: American Law Students, 22nd Edition.
• Accounts of Chemical Research Graduate Prize, The Johns Hopkins University.
• Brumbaugh Science Prize, Juniata College.
• Dow Chemical Corporation Scholarship, Juniata College.
• CRC Handbook Chemistry Prize, Juniata College.
• Baker Peace Scholarship, Juniata College.
• Eagle Scout.

Peter L. Brewer, Sabrina C. Call, Bernard S. Klosowski, Jr., John M. Rappold, & Jeremy M. Stipkala, Pass the Bar Exam! Three Books in One, Persimmon Woods Press, LLC (2018) (ISBN: 978-0-9997997-8-9).

Jeremy M. Stipkala, Thrive in Law School! A Friendly Guide to the Most Important Educational Experience of Your Life, Persimmon Woods Press, LLC (2018) (ISBN: 978-0-9997997-6-5).

Peter L. Brewer, Sabrina C. Call, Bernard S. Klosowski, Jr., John M. Rappold, & Jeremy M. Stipkala, Perspectives on Passing the Bar Exam, Persimmon Woods Press, LLC (2018) (ISBN: 978-0-9997997-5-8).

Jeremy M. Stipkala, Pass the Bar Exam with Dr. Stipkala’s Proven Method, Persimmon Woods Press, LLC (2018) (ISBN: 978-0-9997997-0-3).

AI Legal & Regulatory Environment, Trademarks, Copyrights & Privacy, invited panelist at Charleston AI Summit, Charleston, SC (March 28, 2024).

Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property, guest presentation for B2B Connect, Charleston, SC (Feb. 15, 2024).

Chemistry Demonstrations for Kids, guest presentations for STEM Club, Charleston Bilingual Academy, North Charleston, SC (Feb. 8, 15, 22, & 29, 2024).

Intellectual Property 101 for Business Owners, guest presentation for B2B Connect, Charleston, SC (Sept. 14, 2023).

Intellectual Property 101 for Beneficial Entrepreneurship, guest lecture for Prof. Sarah Castle’s New Venture Modeling/Impact X course, College of Charleston (Mar. 21, 2023).

Intellectual Property 101 for Entrepreneurs, invited webinar at Increasing H.O.P.E. Financial Training Center, North Charleston, SC (July 14, 2021).

The Importance of Intellectual Property (IP) on Maintaining a Competitive Business: Recognizing and Mitigating the Pandemic’s Impact on IP Issues, IP Webinar Series Presenter, hosted by South Carolina Small Business Development Centers (Jan.-Feb. 2021).

Ethics in Intellectual Property Law, invited lecture at Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina Winter Conference, Columbia, SC (Jan. 25, 2020).

Alternative Fee Arrangements and Client Experience in the United States, FICPI 18^th Open Forum, Vienna, Austria (Oct. 10, 2019).

Business Owners: Ready? Set… Exit!, invited panelist at South Carolina Small Business Development Center’s Retirement Workshop, North Charleston, SC (April 12, 2018).

Avoiding Antitrust & Related Pitfalls, invited lecture at multinational manufacturer, Summerville, SC (April 11, 2018).

Intellectual Property 101 for Entrepreneurs, invited lecture at South Carolina Small Business Development Center’s Intellectual Property Workshop, North Charleston, SC (April 5, 2018).

Panelist Judge, Pitch Competition for Prof. Hansen’s New Venture Modeling, Ecopreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship course, College of Charleston (Dec. 12, 2017).

Intellectual Property 101 for Entrepreneurs, guest lecture at Clemson University’s Zucker Family Graduate Education Center, North Charleston, SC (Nov. 29, 2017).

With Gratitude to Angel Investors and Entrepreneurs, Title Sponsor Comments to the Charleston Angel Conference, Charleston, SC (Sept. 20 & Nov. 15, 2017).

Intellectual Property 101 for Entrepreneurs, guest lecture Lunch and Learn, The Harbor Entrepreneur Center, North Charleston, SC (Oct. 5, 2017).

Intellectual Property 101 for Entrepreneurs, invited lecture at South Carolina Small Business Development Center’s Intellectual Property Workshop, North Charleston, SC (July 18, 2017).

Panelist Judge, Pitch Competition for Prof. Hansen’s New Venture Modeling, Ecopreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship course, College of Charleston (May 4, 2017).

Panelist Judge, Pitch Competition for Prof. Hansen’s New Venture Modeling, Ecopreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship course, College of Charleston (April 30, 2017).

South Carolina Business & Research Mission to Israel, Delegate, (Jan. 7-12, 2017).

Getting Cash Flow to Your Startup – Quickly!, invited panelist, SCBIO Annual Conference, Greenville, SC (Nov. 11, 2016).

Going Over the Cliff: Entrepreneurs, Angel Investors, and IP Attorneys, Title Sponsor Comments at the Charleston Angel Conference, Charleston, SC (Nov. 5, 2016).

Intellectual Property Tools for Entrepreneurs, guest lecture Lunch and Learn, The Harbor Entrepreneur Center, North Charleston, SC (Mar. 2, 2015).

SUPREME COURT: Patent Cases of October Term, 2013, invited lecture, San Antonio, TX (Nov. 7, 2014).

Protecting IP For Strategic Advantage, invited lecture, North Charleston, SC (Oct. 21, 2014).

The IP Strategy: Think Around The Box, invited lecture, SCBIO Startup BootCamp, Greenville, SC (Sept. 11, 2014).

Intellectual Property Law for Software Engineers and Other Professionals, guest lecture, FastTrac, North Charleston, SC (Apr. 29, 2014).

Intellectual Property for Software Engineers and Other Professionals, guest lecture for Prof. Michael Verdiccio’s Software Engineering graduate course, Lowcountry Graduate Center (Dec. 3, 2013).

Intellectual Property for Graphic Design Artists and Other Professionals, guest lecture for Prof. Edward Speyers’s Graphic Design course, Charleston Southern University (Nov. 21, 2013).

Intellectual Property Basics for Life Science Companies, invited panelist, 2013 SCBIO Conference (Nov. 15, 2013).

Protecting Intellectual Property for Strategic Business Advantage, invited lecture, Myrtle Beach, SC (Oct. 18, 2013).

Intellectual Property Basics for Life Science Startups, invited lecture, SCBIO Startup Bootcamp, Greenville, SC (Sept. 19, 2013).

Shining a Light on Intellectual Property for University Scientists, invited joint lectures, New Orleans, LA (Sept. 11, 2013).

Intellectual Property for University Scientists, invited joint lecture, Chapel Hill, NC (Apr. 16, 2013).

Intellectual Property for Graphic Design Artists and Other Professionals, guest lecture for Prof. Edward Speyers’s Graphic Design course, Charleston Southern University (Nov. 27, 2012).

SCBIO Life Sciences Industry’s Startup Workshop, invited panelist, Greenville, SC (Nov. 14, 2012).

Patent Law Developments: USPTO’s New Rules and Patent Eligibility, invited lecture, San Antonio, TX (Sept. 12, 2012).

Mayo v. Prometheus on Biotechnology Method Claims & America Invents Act, invited joint lecture, Jerusalem, Israel (May 24, 2012).

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: First to File and How it Affects Interference Practice, invited joint lecture, Tucson, AZ (Feb. 10, 2012).

Protecting Intellectual Property for Strategic Business Advantage, guest lecture for Prof. Jairy C. Hunter’s MBA Capstone course, Charleston Southern University (Jan. 18, 2012).

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: a Brave New World, invited lecture, San Antonio, TX (Jan. 9, 2012).

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: a Brave New World or a Savage to Be Tamed, invited joint lectures, Jerusalem and Beer Sheba, Israel (Nov. 13 & 17, 2011).

I.P. from A to Z: Patents and Reform, invited panelist, Life Sciences 2011 SCBIO-SCMedTech Conference (Nov. 10, 2011).

Patent Law Reform Legislation: Survival Tips for Academic and Entrepreneurial Scientists, lecture at Joint 46th Midwest and 39th Great Lakes Joint Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Oct. 20, 2011).

Major Patent Law Shake-Up: A How-To Survival Guide, lecture at SCBIO’s Charleston Life Sciences Roundtable (June 2, 2011).

Three Resources Chemistry Entrepreneurs Need Most, lecture at Joint 66th Southwest and 62nd Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Dec. 2, 2010).

Patentability of DNA-related Inventions: Breast Cancer Gene Patent Dispute, lecture at Joint 66th Southwest and 62nd Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Dec. 1, 2010).

A New Business Model Comes to Patent Law!, presentation at InnoVenture Southeast 2010 (May 11, 2010).

Nanotechnology Community Forum, invited panelist, University of South Carolina’s NanoCenter (Apr. 15, 2010).

Protecting Intellectual Property for Strategic Business Advantage, guest lecture for FastTrac courses (numerous dates).

Protecting Intellectual Property for Strategic Business Advantage, guest lecture for Prof. Jairy C. Hunter’s MBA Capstone course, Charleston Southern University (Jan. 19, 2010).

Intellectual Property Resource Table for Small Businesses, panel discussion at the Small Business Innovation Summit and Expo (Nov. 4, 2009).

Obviating and Overcoming Obviousness Obstacles (Or, How to Build a Better Patent!), lecture at the 61st Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Oct. 21, 2009).

Protecting Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs, guest lecture for NewVenture course (Oct. 12, 2009).

Federally Funded Invention? Check the Bayh-Dole Act!, lecture at the 60th Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Nov. 12, 2008).

New Rules Change Patent Application Process, lecture at the 59th Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Oct. 24, 2007).

What to Do if You Are Accused of Patent Infringement, lecture at the 58th Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Nov. 2, 2006).

Solar Energy Conversion to Useable Forms of Energy, lecture at the 58th Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Nov. 1, 2006).

Patenting Nano-Sized Versions of Known Materials, lecture at the 231st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (Mar. 26, 2006).

Jeremy M. Stipkala, Overcoming Obviousness When Patenting Nanotechnology Inventions, 23 Nature Biotechnology 677 (2005).

Eric W. Adcock, Jeremy M. Stipkala & Allen R. Jensen, Congressional Clues to the Festo Dispute: Where Does § 112 Stand?, 9 Intell . Prop. Today 47 (2002).

John A. Moss, John C. Yang, Jeremy M. Stipkala, Xingu Wen, Carlo A. Bignozzi, Gerald J. Meyer & Thomas J. Meyer, Sensitization and Stabilization of TiO₂ Photoanodes with Electropolymerized Overlayer Films of Ruthenium and Zinc Polypyridyl Complexes: A Stable Aqueous Photoelectrochemical Cell, 43 Inorganic Chemistry 1784 (2004).

Craig A. Kelly, David W. Thompson, Fereshteh Farzad, Jeremy M. Stipkala & Gerald J. Meyer, Cation-Controlled Interfacial Charge Injection in Sensitized Nanocrystalline TiO₂, 15 Langmuir 7047 (1999).

John A. Moss, Jeremy M. Stipkala, John C. Yang, Carlo A. Bignozzi, Gerald J. Meyer, Thomas J. Meyer, Xingu Wen & Richard W. Linton, Sensitization of Nanocrystalline TiO₂ by Electropolymerized Thin Films, 10 Chemistry Materials 1748 (1998).

Jeremy M. Stipkala, Felix N. Castellano, Todd A. Heimer, Craig A. Kelly, Kenneth J. T. Livi & Gerald J. Meyer, Light-Induced Charge Separation at Sensitized Sol-Gel Processed Semiconductors, 9 Chemistry Materials 2341 (1997).

Todd A. Heimer, Samuel T. D’Arcangelis, Fereshteh Farzad, Jeremy M. Stipkala & Gerald J. Meyer, An Acetylacetonate-Based Semiconductor-Sensitizer Linkage, 35 Inorganic Chemistry 5319 (1996).

Fei Cao, Gerko Oskam, Peter C. Searson, Jeremy M. Stipkala, Todd A. Heimer, Fereshteh Farzad & Gerald J. Meyer, Electrical and Optical Properties of Porous Nanocrystalline TiO₂ Films, 99 J. Physical Chemistry 11974 (1995).

Felix N. Castellano, Jeremy M. Stipkala, Lee A. Friedman & Gerald J. Meyer, Spectroscopic and Excited-State Properties of Titanium Dioxide Gels, 6 Chemistry Materials 2123 (1994).