Douglas J. Barker

Doug Barker is a Patent Attorney at NovoTech Patent Firm, where he assists clients with patent preparation, prosecution, and opinion work. With over twenty-five years of experience in intellectual property, Doug focuses on patent and trade secret counseling. He helps clients secure valid, enforceable patents across a wide range of technologies.  Doug’s primary focus is patenting quantum technologies.

Patent Law Experience

Doug’s extensive career includes serving as in-house counsel for Microsoft, where he worked on patent preparation, prosecution, and trade secret counseling in fields such as computer software, cloud computing, generative artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), quantum computing, search and advertising, operating systems, and mobile devices. During his tenure, Doug also managed an in-house patent engineering team that provided technical services to evaluate and enhance the value of patent portfolios, conducted freedom-to-innovate studies, and performed intellectual property risk assessments.

Prior to his time at Microsoft, Doug served as in-house counsel for Hewlett-Packard Company, where he provided front-line legal support and prepared and prosecuted patent applications for HP’s printer, medical, and instrumentation businesses. Doug began his patent career as a patent agent for Fluke Corporation, supporting their electronic instrumentation and networks businesses while attending law school.

Technical Background

Before entering the legal field, Doug gained hands-on technical experience as an electrical engineer at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he provided front-line engineering support for their electronic instrument manufacturing business.

Education and Academic Achievements

Doug earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from the Seattle University School of Law.

Additional Credentials

Doug is admitted to practice in Washington and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.