William E. O’Brien

William E. O’Brien, is counsel to the Firm and specializes in advising foreign and domestic clients on issues involving licensing, trademark and copyright law, including litigation
of intellectual property matters before federal and state courts.

Bill received his German law training from the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, where he graduated with the German equivalent of a J.D. in 1986. In 1988, he received his J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Bill was a research fellow at the MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN AND INTERNATIONAL PATENT, COPYRIGHT AND COMPETITION LAW in Munich, Germany where he completed his master’s thesis in trademark law. Bill completed his master’s thesis and received his Magister Legum in German Law from the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität in 1992.

Bill is admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Massachusetts and New York. Bill’s practice is focused in the following practice areas:

  • Negotiation and draft of software and technology licensing agreements;

  • Preparation and prosecution of trademark and copyright applications before state and federal agencies;

  • Advising on intellectual property matters in the formation, acquisition and restructuring of corporations;

  • Providing advice on intellectual property matters in the context of employer/employee – independent contractor relationships;

  • Development of strategies for the protection of intellectual property including the protection of trade names, trade secrets common law marks, copyrights and industrial secrets; and

  • The litigation of intellectual property matters.

Bill began his career as an Attorney Advisor with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office, in Washington, D.C., where he received the Special Achievement Award in 1990. He was chair of the  Intellectual Property Section at Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green after which he was in – house counsel with the Quantum Corporation and General Counsel with Plaut Consulting, Inc. Currently, Bill is an Adjunct Professor of Ecommerce Law and Ethics at Quinsigammond Community College. He has authored the text “Obtaining, Using and Protecting Trademarks”, MCLE 2006 and is a frequent lecturer on intellectual property topics.

Language skills: fluent in German.

Bainwood, Huang & Associates, LLC
2 Connector Road
Westborough, Massachusetts
508-616-2900 (Main)
508-366-4688 (Fax)
[email protected]