Jim Baunach

Jim Baunach is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice. His current practice focuses on patent prosecution, including patent procurement, ex parte appeals and patent reexaminations before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Jim has extensive experience in obtaining US and foreign patents as well as patent portfolio management in software and computer-related technologies for companies ranging from small startups to large corporations. Prior to joining VLP, Jim was a partner with a large intellectual property boutique firm located in Seattle, Washington.

Jim’s technical experience includes working in the software engineering department at Tektronix, Inc. and as a software engineer at a subsidiary of NEC, Inc. After receiving his law degree, Jim also served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a communications officer and network design engineer. He later gained international experience by spending two years working as a U.S. patent attorney in Beijing, China.

Examples of Jim’s expertise include web-based and mobile systems, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, augmented and virtual reality, digital video, and wireless communication systems.

He received a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Portland and holds a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law, where he received the Dean’s High Paper Award in Patent Law and Policy.