About

Corporate America has much to thank Keith Agisim for; as chairman of the Financial Services Round table’s IP committee, he has played a key role in assisting Congress with the Patent Reform Bill. And it is not the only instance where Agisim has broken new ground – in 2008, as vice-chairman of the IP and Technology Committee of The Clearing House Association (TCH), he helped draft an amicus brief for In re Bilski, a widely discussed case relating to the patentability of business methods. In a rare move, the Federal Circuit allowed TCH’s group to argue its amicus position at oral argument. In 2009, Agisim testified before the FTC in a series of hearings exploring patent law changes and patent-related business models. Naturally, Bank of America has been the major beneficiary of Agisim’s evident abilities. Binal Patel of Banner & Witcoff says: ‘through his vision, the bank has transformed its culture into one that recognizes and protects its many innovations’. Patel goes on to point out that Agisim engineered some of the most sophisticated procedures and policies now widely used for patent procurement across the United States. In addition, Agisim leads the bank’s efforts to protect its trademarks and strengthen its brand. He heads up a global team supporting the 100,000-strong employee technology and operations group, which spans more than 40 countries. Unsurprisingly, his position means having to keep on top of the continuously evolving issue of cyber security. Patel surmizes that ‘throughout his career, Agisim has been a recognized leader in promoting intellectual property not only within the bank, but across the entire financial industry’.