Welcome to the latest instalment of Managing IP’s ‘Five minutes with’ series, where we learn more about intellectual property practitioners on a personal and professional level.
This time, we meet Lucas Amodio, partner at Armstrong Teasdale.
Someone asks you at a party what you do for a living. What do you say?
I’m a patent attorney. I get to learn about and explore new technology every day.
Talk us through a typical working day.
One of the things I like about this job is that every day is different.
One day I’m working on a patent for an advanced artificial intelligence (AI), another day on telecommunications, and a third, on cryptographic systems. I generally spend my day analysing these different technologies to determine differences and how to explain these differences to patent examiners.
What are you working on at the moment?
An advanced AI system.
Does one big piece of work usually take priority, or are you juggling multiple things?
I am generally juggling multiple things.
Many of my tasks are smaller pieces moving along the prosecution of multiple patent applications simultaneously. I find it fun and challenging to switch between technologies, sometimes multiple times a day.
What is the most exciting aspect of your role, and what is the most stressful?
The most exciting part of my role is learning new technologies. I need to learn how the technologies work to a point that I can describe them to the patent office.
I also need to be able to detect and describe differences between the invention and other similar technologies.
Tell us the key characteristics that make a successful IP lawyer/practitioner.
Good organisation skills, the ability to switch between different applications and technologies, and great negotiation skills.
What is the most common misconception about IP?
That we deal a lot with case law. As a patent prosecutor, I win more arguments with patent examiners by showing how two technologies are different rather than arguing individual laws and cases.
What or who inspires you?
Many times, the inventors that I work with.
I like working with inventors who are on the cutting edge of their fields. I need to be able to learn how their invention and technology work, which inspires me to learn more.
If you weren’t in IP, what would you be doing?
I would probably be spending my time on privacy and cybersecurity law.
Any advice you would give your younger self?
"Never give up, never surrender!" – Galaxy Quest
What is your motto in life?
No knowledge is wasted. Learn everything.
