A multidisciplinary attorney, adept electrical engineer and former USPTO patent examiner

An associate in the firm’s Dallas office, John Wojton focuses his practice on all aspects of patent preparation and prosecution. With degrees in electrical engineering, biology and law, as well as experience working at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), he brings a dynamic perspective to intellectual property matters.

John has experience with a wide array of complex technologies but concentrates his IP practice on the technical areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, complex software, IT and industrial products; as well as clean, communications, electronics and semiconductor technologies.

Before joining Patterson + Sheridan, John served as a patent examiner with the USPTO. He examined and issued patents for technologies in the fields of memory access, memory control, electrical circuits, cloud computing, data processing, distributed computing, AI, machine learning and more. Having drafted more than 425 office actions addressing the patentability of various inventions, John is well-versed in the requirements of the USPTO and leverages this knowledge to achieve his client’s goals.

Leveraging a diverse legal and engineering background to fortify patent applications

John launched his legal career in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. After nearly a decade of litigating, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an IP attorney and enrolled in Texas A&M to earn his electrical engineering degree.

During his time at Texas A&M, John secured prestigious internships working with NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Part of his work included developing a software program to manage communications, store and upload data to the International Space Station; conducting testing and developing solutions to discover leaks in the Orion propulsion system; and developing system requirements, hazard analysis and test plans to create a medium-volume vacuum system which would recreate Martian conditions.

John also developed his analytical skills working as a researcher in Texas A&M’s Plasma Dynamics Modeling Laboratory, where he created a mathematical model explaining the motion of charged particles in an electrical field. Additionally, he interned with the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), providing guidance on electricity markets, electricity transmission, permitting issues, mathematical models and market forecasting.

A diligent worker willing to put his nose to the grindstone to achieve his client’s goals

When working with a new client, John isn’t afraid to ask questions and doesn’t let his ego get in the way. He acknowledges inventors hold a trove of information and that by openly communicating and mining them for details, he can learn everything he needs to write a strong patent application that will meet their short- and long-term business goals while protecting the novelty of their invention.

John leans on his experience as a patent examiner to clearly capture his client’s needs and goals within the first patent action, whether it’s prioritizing a quick approval or communicating breadth to protect the invention’s competitive advantage. This experience has also made John well-practiced at reviewing complex technical documents, digesting the information to fully understand the technology and working with both sides of the process to get patents allowed.

In his spare time, John enjoys fishing, duck hunting and dirt biking with his son. He can also often be found in his garage restoring his 1976 pickup truck.