Craig A. Gelfound

Craig A. Gelfound heads ArentFox Schiff LLP’s California IP practice, comprised of more than 35 attorneys and legal professionals. They combine patent prosecution, litigation, transactions and the management of large patent portfolios for clients with advanced technologies.

He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, Southwestern University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1994.

He joined ArentFox in 2008, lateraling from McDermott Will & Emery. “I got to start the IP practice in the firm’s new L.A. office,” he said. “It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Now we are very busy and it’s all good.”

Late last year, ArentFox announced the opening of what it claims to be the first major law office in the virtual world, a site known as Decentraland, demonstrating the firm’s affinity for the cutting edge. “It’s our real estate in the metaverse,” Gelfound said. “It’s still a little crude, but you can walk in and up the stairs with avatars running around. It’s going to be an immersive environment.”

Gelfound has been on the road to the future for most of his career. For almost 25 years, he has represented Qualcomm Inc., the San Diego-based semiconductor, software and wireless technology giant. He was one of the first outside counsel to assume responsibility for the prosecution of a significant part of the company’s large patent portfolio.

In 2022, ArentFox attained a milestone: 20,000 patent applications prepared or prosecuted for Qualcomm under Gelfound’s supervision.

Over the past year, he said, much of his work for Qualcomm has related to the company’s development of 5G communications technology and Internet of Things initiatives. “Now comes 6G,” he said. “There’s always exciting tech here.”

Three new clients are developing new electrical storage battery technology, a vital component of the Green Revolution. “Energy storage is big, given the need for cleaner energy,” Gelfound said.

The new clients include San Jose-based Power Integrations Inc., which retained Gelfound to assist in developing its patent portfolio. The others are Advanced Battery Concepts LLC of Clare, Michigan, which Gelfound will assist with its licensing program, and Shenzhen Hello Tech Energy Co. Ltd. of Guangdong, China.

“I was an engineer for ten years, and a lot of that involved hardware and power work. So I’m thrilled to assist these great companies, and that’s the nerd in me talking.”

Gelfound said he continues to enjoy practicing patent law. “Most firms organize in practice groups. We’re organized around different technology sectors, such as AI and the metaverse. There’s a lot going on.”

—John Roemer