Steven L. Nichols

Steven Nichols is a Patent Attorney with nearly 25 years of experience in all aspects of intellectual property law. He has served as a patent examiner, registered patent attorney, and law school professor. Steven has published articles and presented on eCommerce and intellectual property topics in Paris, Tokyo, and across the United States.

Patent Law Experience

Steven began his career as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. During his time there, he handled hundreds of patent applications related to light detectors with associated optics and circuitry. These inventions spanned a variety of electrical fields, including imaging arrays, fiber optic communications, photocopiers, auto-focus cameras, product inspection systems, intruder detection systems, and missile tracking systems.

After two years at the Patent Office, Steven transitioned to private practice, first as a patent agent and later as a registered patent attorney. His practice covers all areas of intellectual property law, with a focus on drafting and prosecuting patent and trademark applications for major corporate clients. Steven has extensive experience prosecuting patents in the electrical and mechanical arts, including software and business method patents. He also handles eCommerce and Internet legal issues, intellectual property licensing, and litigation.

Academic Contributions

Steven is an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University (BYU). He developed and teaches a course at the Fulton College of Engineering & Technology titled Fundamentals of Intellectual Property for Engineers. Steven has also taught eCommerce and Internet Law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. He created the curriculum for this course, which covers legal issues related to the internet, including jurisdiction, intellectual property, electronic contracting, and ethics.

Education and Academic Achievements

Steven earned his Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Applied Physics from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He received his Juris Doctor degree, with High Honors, from the George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia.

Additional Credentials

Steven is admitted to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, Utah, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.