Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Intellectual Property and Technology Disputes

Partner - Litigation and Investigations

Abby Cotton focuses her practice in intellectual property and has more than 10 years of experience working in the patent field. She most recently worked for Canon USA, where she was responsible for all aspects of U.S. patent prosecution including preparing patent applications for filing, responding to office actions and conducting examiner interviews. She also has experience assisting in Patent Trial and Appeal Board interference proceedings.

Abby also was a biochemistry and organic chemistry patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office where her examination areas included pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and therapeutic methods.

Abby has experience in the following technology areas: cameras, optics, ink-jet printers, laser printers, software for print control and image display, ink and toner technologies, OLEDs and light emitting compounds, ophthalmic diagnostic devices, x-ray devices; chemistry and biochemistry; and semiconductor manufacturing.

Prior to law school, Abby received her master’s in chemistry and was a graduate student researcher in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her bachelor’s in chemistry from Claremont McKenna College and was a summer undergraduate research fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT & HONORS Phi Beta Kappa CALI Excellence Award (top student): Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law II, Remedies, Legislation, Interviewing and Counseling, and Copyright Law