Lucas draws on his years of experience as a Primary Patent Examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to draft robust patents and provide insightful counsel to clients in the chemical engineering, materials science, and physical chemistry sectors.
During his time at the USPTO, Lucas executed all facets of patent examination of battery and fuel cell patent applications in the fields of chemical and materials engineering, polymer and organic chemistry, and mechanical engineering. His work included conducting patentability analysis and prior art search; drafting office actions, notices of allowance, and examiner’s answers; responding to attorney patentability arguments; and leading applicant interviews. He also coached junior examiners on 35 U.S.C. § 112 (b) and 35 U.S.C. § 103 best practices and consulted on appeals, in addition to training a class of new examiners at the Patent Training Academy.
While a graduate research assistant at Case Western Reserve University, Lucas studied the surface engineering of specialty metals, alloys, and advanced materials, and he trained in tribology research at the Oak Ridge National Lab Tribology User Center. Lucas’s background also includes working as a product development engineer for advanced ceramic materials in the metal casting industry.
