Fish & Richardson Elevates Three Technology Specialists to Associate Roles in Second Half of 2024  

Fish & Richardson is proud to announce the elevation of three technology specialists to the role of associate in the second half of 2024. Each holds an advanced STEM degree and after earning their J.D.s and passing the bar, they now continue building their legal careers as Fish attorneys.  

Erin B. Knight, Ph.D.,  has been a member of Fish’s legal team for over 13 years and was previously a senior patent agent. Her practice focuses on patent prosecution, patent portfolio development, and strategic patent counseling and opinions. Knight has extensive experience in the sectors of medical devices, manufacturing, energy, and consumer products, among others. She earned her J.D. and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds a master’s of science in biomedical engineering and a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering, both from the University of Michigan.  

Daniel Wheaton prosecutes patents in a broad range of technology areas such as electrical, computer, energy, and financial services. Before earning his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Wheaton served in the U.S. Navy aboard a nuclear-powered submarine and taught engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy. Wheaton earned a bachelor’s degree in robotics and controls engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. Wheaton joined Fish as a technology specialist, patent agent in 2019.  

Liujing Xing, Ph.D., concentrates her work on U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, portfolio development, and strategic client counseling within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. She counsels clients in a wide range of technologies, including biologics, small molecules, gene editing, and molecular sequencing and diagnostics, among other technologies. Xing received a Ph.D. in developmental biology from Stanford University and earned her J.D. from Boston College School of Law. Prior to earning her J.D., Xing served as a technology specialist and patent agent at Fish. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from State University of New York at Stony Brook.