Burns & Levinson announced today that Peter Stecher has joined the firm as Counsel in its Intellectual Property Group. Stecher was previously a patent attorney at Baker McKenzie in Washington, D.C. and brings more than 20 years of experience advising clients on their patent prosecution and freedom to operate strategies to the firm. Stecher represents companies, universities and research organizations in a wide range of industries, including electrical arts, optics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, photonics, semiconductor technologies, and microwave-based technology. His work spans the patent life cycle, including preparing patent applications and securing worldwide patent protection, strategically managing patent portfolios while focusing on risk assessment, advising on infringement and validity positions, providing freedom-to-operate analysis, conducting due diligence for business transactions, patent harvesting, and developing and negotiating patent and trademark licenses. He has obtained over 400 patents for his clients throughout his career. “We are excited to have Peter join our world-class IP team. With nearly 30 IP attorneys and a roster of well-known clients, our IP practice is rapidly expanding and we are always looking to add outstanding lateral hires to help us meet increasing client demand for our services,” said Joseph Maraia, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. “Peter is a seasoned IP attorney and will be a great addition to our group and a valuable resource for our clients. He has extensive expertise in patenting complex technologies, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our firm,” added Deborah Peckham, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. Stecher began his career as a patent examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he focused on patents in the electrical arts area. He received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School (2004) and his B.S. in electrical science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1996). He later earned an M.S. in finance, with honors, and an MBA, with honors, from Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business (2015) and an M.S., with honors, in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering (2017). Stecher also holds professional certificates, in Personal Leadership (Stanford LEAD) and Innovation and Entrepreneurship, from both the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and School of Engineering, respectively.