Attorneys & Professionals

Franklin E. Gibbs is a patent attorney, registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, who specializes in the field of intellectual property law.  Mr. Gibbs has fourteen years of practical engineering experience with The Hughes Aircraft Company and Raytheon.  He is also experienced in the litigation and prosecution of patents, trademarks, and copyrights.  Furthermore, Mr. Gibbs has advised numerous corporate clients on the development and implementation of intellectual property polices and procedures that further include the identification and safeguarding of trade secrets. 

In his practice, Mr. Gibbs has worked with a wide range of clients from the individual inventor seeking intellectual property protection for simple inventions, to medium size and large-scale corporations, to multi-million dollar aerospace companies in complex patent licensing negotiations with entities such as NASA.  Additionally, Mr. Gibbs was responsible for securing the intellectual property rights for Bigelow Airspace, a space technology company that pioneers work on expandable space station modules. He brings not only a diverse and rich educational and practical background to the firm, but an approach to intellectual property that focuses on the needs and individuality of each client.  Mr. Gibbs views intellectual property as an integrated body of laws that requires a practitioner to not only be concerned with the requirements in obtaining such property rights, but also demands that a practitioner have an understanding of long term strategies and analysis of licensing, cross-licensing, litigation, and negotiation that traverses any single area of the intellectual property field.

At WHGC, Mr. Gibbs is credited with implementing a patent prosecution process that focuses on client needs including developing patent applications with a focus on litigation, licensing, international portfolio and management, and securing venture capital. Mr. Gibbs has also been successful in working with other firms on complex patent matters and coordinating efforts to defeat what has recently been coined as patent trolls.

Intellectual Property Experience:
Mr. Gibbs has proven success in working with experts from among the nation's top universities such as MIT, Cal Tech and Berkley on technically challenging patent cases.
 
Mr. Gibbs has prosecuted or defended in patent, trademark, and copyright infringement litigations. He has advised clients on intellectual property matters including trade secrets and unfair competition issues as well as patentability of inventions, trademarks and copyright items.  Mr. Gibbs also has experience in drafting licensing agreements for patents and copyrights.