Meet Michael Van Loy

michael-van-loy-headshot.jpeg

Contact Mike:
1.858.314.1559
MDVanLoy@Mintz.com
Full Bio on Mintz.com

Fun facts:
My clients are based throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia, so I'm often on the road.  Despite this (or more likely because of it plus my tendency towards extreme history geekiness), I love traveling whenever I get the opportunity. Closer to home in San Diego, my family and I enjoy the year-round perfect weather and ready access to pretty much any imaginable flavor of the outdoors within a 4-5 hour drive.  My early morning pick-up basketball game at a nearby gym is a standing (and generally non-negotiable) calendar fixture if I'm not on the road.  When I'm hungry near home, nothing beats a plate of tacos (baja-style fish, carne asada, or carnitas depending on my mood) and a selection (or two) from the region's wealth of great beers.

If I weren’t a lawyer, I would be ...
a travel advisor.  My wife is convinced that I have as much fun planning our next trip as actually being on it. 

What’s the most unusual thing in your office?  
My ever-growing collection of Oktoberfest souvenir BierKrugs.

What new technology will most impact the future 10 years from now? 
Clean water/energy

I have worked at the intersection of technology and law for nearly two decades, during which I have had the privilege to assist companies of all sizes (from two or three smart people in a cubicle or garage to multinationals) in developing intelligent strategies for safeguarding the value of their innovations, which generally involve some intersection of computer software/hardware, chemistry, physics, and chemical/fluid/mechanical engineering.  As a patent attorney and technology protection strategist, I enjoy helping my clients figure out how to intelligently allocate limited resources to developing the best intellectual property protection possible while avoiding potentially catastrophic missteps with regards to rights owned by others.

Education

  • JD, Santa Clara University

  • PhD, University of California - Berkeley: Civil and Environmental Engineering

  • BS, University of California - Berkeley: Chemistry

Technologies I have helped protect:

  • Artificial intelligence/machine learning-based cybersecurity

  • High-speed in-memory databases

  • Network management

  • Laser spectroscopy

  • Internal combustion engines

  • Wear and corrosion resistant braking systems

  • 3D-printing and computer numerically controlled laser cutting

  • Fraud detection and financial risk management

  • High-capacity batteries with explosion and fire protections

  • MRI-guided radiation treatment

  • Insulin delivery

  • Online content management

  • Intuitive querying of databases, social media networks, etc.

  • Online gaming

  • Water and wastewater treatment

  • Solar and wind-based energy generation

  • Heating and cooling systems and controls

  • Eye tracking

  • Mineral recovery from electronic waste

  • Virtual and augmented reality

  • Facial recognition

  • Sensor-guided dental drills