Fish & Richardson Elevates Dynamic 2026 Class of New Principals

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fish & Richardson has elevated 18 new principals, effective January 1, 2026. This accomplished group exemplifies the firm’s longstanding commitment to developing leaders who combine legal excellence with deep technical expertise.

This year’s principal class includes attorneys who launched their careers at Fish as summer associates, as well as practitioners who bring experience from research institutions, life sciences and technology industries, and public service. Together they hold six advanced STEM degrees, as well as two Ph.D.s, and two have clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Collectively, they represent a powerful combination of scientific sophistication, strategic insight, and innovative thinking that positions Fish for continued leadership in intellectual property law.

“The journey to principal spans many years of hard work and commitment, and each member of this class has invested deeply in their growth and the success of our clients,” said John Adkisson, president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to celebrate this milestone.”

“Every year our new principals raise the bar, and the 2026 class is no exception,” said Kristine McKinney, chief operating officer. “This cohort embodies the forward-looking, innovative spirit that drives our firm and our clients.”

Alyaman Amer focuses his practice on a broad range of IP matters, with an emphasis on complex patent litigation within the electrical and computer technologies. His litigation practice is informed by his years of patent prosecution and counseling experience. In addition to his litigation practice, Amer advises clients on patentability, validity, and infringement issues across electrical, computer-based technologies, and software. Before joining Fish, Amer was a patent agent and gained engineering and research experience in battery technology and telecommunications. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his J.D. from Loyola Law School, where he served as an Intellectual Property Fellow.

Simon Bruhn advises on, prosecutes, and enforces trademarks, designs, and patents worldwide and ensures IP rights and trade secrets are well protected. He focuses on handling global portfolios and advising on corresponding prosecution and enforcement strategies with an eye for the bigger picture. His work is focused on a wide range of industries, from semiconductor and software technology companies to businesses in the life sciences and consumer goods sectors. Bruhn is currently providing pro bono representation to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2017. He is licensed both in Germany and in New York, after obtaining his law degree from the University of Konstanz and his master of laws degree in media, entertainment, and technology law from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Taylor Burgener dedicates her practice to IP litigation matters relating to a wide variety of technologies, including telecommunications, software, electrical and computer technologies, and life sciences. She is also heavily involved in pro bono work for workplace discrimination, custody disputes, and children’s rights. Burgener earned her J.D. from George Washington University Law School, where she served as the student editor-in-chief for the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal. Before law school, she worked as a quality control associate at a diagnostic laboratory. Burgener holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of San Diego.

Bryan Cannon’s practice blends litigation and patent prosecution, counseling, and portfolio management for clients in the wireless communications space and beyond, with particular experience resolving disputes involving standard essential patents. He also has experience practicing before the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Before practicing law, he was a lead auxiliary engineer with the U.S. Navy. Cannon earned his J.D. from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Philip Chen focuses his practice on patent litigation in the life sciences space, with experience across a variety of technologies, including biologics, small molecule pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. He is experienced in district courts as well as the ITC. Chen earned his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Journal of Science & Technology Law. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and biochemistry from Washington University.

Caitlin Dean helps clients resolve complex intellectual property disputes with an emphasis on the life sciences and pharmaceutical fields, including Hatch-Waxman litigation. She also has experience serving clients across a wide range of industries including consumer products, medical devices, and computer software. Before beginning her legal career, Dean conducted lab and field-based research in Peru, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Mexico. She earned her J.D. at Michigan Law School, where she was the editor-in-chief of the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law, and her B.A. in environmental biology at Columbia University.

Leanne Flatter focuses her practice on U.S. and international patent prosecution and patent portfolio management in the fields of automotives, medical devices, carbon capture technologies, and robotics. Before entering the legal profession, Flatter earned her master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Clemson University, where her research centered on mobile medical devices. She earned her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and was previously a summer associate at Fish.

Yunbo Guo, Ph.D., focuses his practice on patent prosecution and strategic counseling, leveraging more than a decade of experience in semiconductor and memory devices, optical devices and systems, computer hardware, medical devices, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, and electronics innovations. His multidisciplinary technical insights provide distinct advantages in addressing complex inventions for clients. In addition, he has been actively involved in managing and developing Fish’s client relationships in China. Guo earned his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Newark. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, a master’s degree in optical engineering, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from Tsinghua University.

Meghana Gupta, Ph.D., provides domestic and international patent prosecution services and strategic counsel to clients in the life sciences industry, with a focus on biotechnology, molecular biology, and therapeutics. Gupta received her bachelor’s degree in genetics and microbiology from Rutgers University. She earned her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and holds a Ph.D. in molecular pharmacology from Case Western Reserve University. Her graduate research focused on understanding cell signaling pathways implicated in cancer.

Sarah Jack is a patent litigator and appellate advocate with experience representing clients across diverse industries, including chemical and life sciences. Jack began her legal career at Fish as a summer associate before clerking for the Honorable Kathleen M. O’Malley of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Honorable Richard G. Andrews of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Jack earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she served as a contributing editor of the Iowa Law Review. She holds bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and ecology from Wichita State University.

Svetla Nikolova speaks the language of both the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO), enabling her to seamlessly navigate an international patent strategy for her clients across multiple jurisdictions. Her experience as in-house counsel as well as a law firm prosecutor helps her focus on clients’ business needs to develop comprehensive IP strategies and give portfolio management advice across a wide range of technologies, including cloud-computing technologies, computer-aided design and manufacturing software, FinTech and data analytics, AI, and virtual/augmented reality, among others. Nikolova has significant experience in navigating patent eligibility issues in both Europe and the U.S. She earned her master’s degree in computer science and her Master of Business Administration from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” where she also completed bachelor’s degrees in computer science and business administration.

Garett Padilla prosecutes patents for life science and biotechnology innovations and advises clients on patent landscape strategy, freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence, and patent portfolio analysis. Before he joined Fish, Padilla was a patent search and analytics vendor and clerked for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. He earned his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law. He holds a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Macalester College.

Nathan Ranns partners with clients at every step of the trademark and copyright lifecycle, from brand adoption and protection to enforcement and litigation before federal courts and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He takes a holistic approach to his representation by applying his litigation experience when developing tailored prosecution and counseling strategies for his clients. Ranns previously served as a trademark examining attorney at the USPTO. He earned his J.D. from George Washington University Law School, where he served as the executive articles editor for the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal and as the editor-in-chief and founding member of the George Washington Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Brief. Ranns holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and political science from the University of Michigan.

Elliot Scher focuses his practice on complex patent litigation before U.S. district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB. He has experience across a range of technologies including semiconductor circuits, hardware and software, security and encryption technology, and consumer electronics. His technical versatility is enhanced by his background in physics, including work on the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. Scher received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as technical editor of the Virginia Law & Business Review and holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Vanderbilt University.

Rodeen Talebi litigates patent cases involving wireless communications, computer networking, and software in a broad range of technologies. In addition to federal court litigation, he represents clients in proceedings at the PTAB and in appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Talebi earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he served as technology director of the SMU Science and Technology Law Review. He has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in computer science, and he previously worked as a software engineer for telecommunications companies and served as a solutions engineering consultant to major wireless operators.

John Thuermer advocates for clients in complex IP litigation involving electrical and computer technologies, medical devices, and energy and chemical processes before the ITC and U.S. district courts. His practice benefits from insights honed during his former role serving at the ITC as an attorney advisor to Commissioner Rhonda K. Schmidtlein and to Administrative Law Judge David P. Shaw. He also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing minors in guardian ad litem matters. Thuermer earned his J.D. from The University of Akron School of Law, where he served as assistant editor of the Akron Law Review. He holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and political science from Case Western Reserve University.

Autumn Wu advocates for clients in patent litigation in Section 337 proceedings at the ITC and in U.S. district courts. Her practice spans a variety of technologies, including consumer electronics, mechanical arts, medical devices, and life sciences. As a native Mandarin speaker, Wu has significant experience guiding Chinese companies through the U.S. legal system and navigating their complex IP disputes. She earned her J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where she was an article editor for the Journal of Science & Technology Law. Wu holds a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Rice University.

Alex Yu focuses his practice on patent prosecution, portfolio management, and strategic counseling across technologies including consumer robotics, medical robotics, and autonomous vehicles. He represents clients in post-grant review and inter partes review proceedings before the PTAB and in appeals to the Federal Circuit arising from those proceedings. He clerked for the Honorable Raymond Chen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Yu earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as senior editor of the Stanford Law Review. Before practicing law, he conducted research at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering on wearable robotics and worked as a research and development engineer for a medical device company. He also holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, both from Stanford University.

Contacts

Liz McCarthy, Public Relations Manager

emccarthy@fr.com | 857-293-3044