Barnes & Thornburg has added Kurt Rohde to the firm’s Intellectual Property Department as a partner in the Chicago office. Rohde is the fourth partner addition in Chicago this year and the third in the office’s Intellectual Property Department. Rohde joins from McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, a boutique intellectual property firm, where he chaired the mechanical and materials practice group.
Rohde focuses his practice on patent portfolio management, patent prosecution and complex litigation. On the prosecution side, he handles both domestic and international patents and manages large multinational portfolios. He also provides guidance on licensing, joint development agreements and rights management. His work spans numerous industries, including aeronautics, energy, telecommunications, industrial machine and software industries.
“What makes Kurt such an invaluable patent attorney, among so many other factors, are his years of real-world engineering experience in areas like industrial machine design. His passion and knowledge for these subjects allow him to connect with clients in unique and supremely effective ways,” said Julia Gard, chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. “On top of which, Kurt has an especially keen eye for identifying which inventions to patent early in development – a huge value add for our clients.”
When it comes to litigation, Rohde is adept at identifying and framing the key issues, and then tailoring a litigation strategy for a successful outcome while also meeting the client’s expectations. He puts a strong emphasis on cost-saving measures for clients throughout all stages of litigation and has implemented cost forecasting systems for a range of clients, including one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
“Intellectual property matters continue to keep us busy, especially in the tech sector, and our clients will greatly benefit from Kurt’s skillset,” said Michael Carrillo, Chicago office managing partner. “With over a decade of experience both in the courtroom and overseeing major international patent portfolios, Kurt is the fierce, pragmatic counselor our clients need to navigate this increasingly competitive sector.”
He earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and his B.S. from Auburn University.
