William Haulbrook, a partner in Goodwin Procter’s Intellectual Property Group, focuses on procurement and enforcement of intellectual property rights, with emphasis on strategic development of U.S. and foreign patent portfolios, patent infringement and validity opinions, patent licensing, and general IP diligence.

Work for Clients

Dr. Haulbrook has extensive experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications for technology companies in the fields of polymers and composites, alternative energy (solar, geothermal, biofuels), medical imaging and diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial chemistry, petroleum processing, computer software and industrial process simulation. He specializes in building comprehensive patent portfolios to support clients’ business objectives in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Dr. Haulbrook also advises technology companies and investors on patent enforcement, validity, infringement, risk assessment, freedom to operate and related issues.

Professional Activities

Dr. Haulbrook serves on the MIT Prelaw Advisory Board, counseling MIT students and graduates interested in the legal profession. In 2008, he was named one of the “Top Ten Intellectual Property Lawyers Influencing Nanotechnology” by Nanotechnology Law and Business. Dr. Haulbrook is also a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Publications/Presentations

In August 2008, Dr. Haulbrook was a panelist at the Clean Energy Fellowship Program sponsored by the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). He also chaired a panel discussion at the Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) Conference in Boston entitled “Strategic Choices in Nanotech Funding and IP Protection” (June 2008 ), and was a panelist for the Strafford Publications CLE teleconference entitled “Nanotechnology: Strategies for Securing and Protecting Patents and Copyrights” (April 2008 ).

In addition, Dr. Haulbrook co-authored and presented “Nanotech Patents: Tips for Getting the Patent Protection You Need” at the Nano Science and Technology Institute Conference in Silicon Valley (May 2007). He also wrote “Getting a Handle on the Software Patent Explosion,” which appeared in the November 2005 edition of Patent Strategy and Management and was republished as a feature article in IPFrontline.com in January 2006.

Professional Experience

Prior to joining Goodwin Procter in 2005, Dr. Haulbrook was an associate in the Patent and Intellectual Property Practice Group at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault in Boston. He worked as an engineer in the chemical industry prior to his legal practice.

Bar and Court Admissions

Dr. Haulbrook is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, and he is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Education

J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 2001 (cum laude)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993
M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991
B.S., University of South Carolina, 1989 (summa cum laude)