Rita S. Heimes
Director, Center for Law and Innovation
Rita Heimes joined the Center for Law & Innovation in January 2001 as its first full time director and as acting director of the Maine Patent Program. She is deeply engaged in studying, teaching about, and convening discussions around the role of intellectual property law in science and technology economic development policy. Under her leadership, the Center has become the state's resource for information and service on patents and technology transfer, and it is rapidly becoming a training ground for the next generation of intellectual property counselors in Maine.
Rita teaches courses at the law school in Internet law, intellectual property law, copyright and trademark law, and served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law in the Global Technology Law LLM program at Suffolk University Law School during the 2003-2004 academic year. She serves on the Maine Science and Technology Advisory Council, on the boards of the Biotechnology Association of Maine and Pop!Tech, and on committees advising the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine System on developing research capacity.
Rita received her BA in Journalism with honors and highest distinction from the University of Iowa in 1990, and a JD with honors from Drake University Law School in 1993. Following law school, she clerked with the Honorable Robert Beezer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and practiced law with firms in Seattle, Boulder and Portland.
Leonard Agneta
Director, Maine Patent Program
Leonard Agneta heads the state wide operations of the Maine Patent Program. As an integral part of the Center for Law and Innovation, the Maine Patent program combines experienced professionals with university students to support the innovations of small businesses, independent inventors, and entrepreneurs of Maine.
Mr. Agneta has an extensive background conducting the commercialization of new technology through contract management, intellectual property protection, technology licensing, and service to entrepreneurs. He is an outspoken critic of patent reform legislation and an advocate of high technology economic development. He especially enjoys mentoring students as they learn the skills of intellectual property development and technology transfer.
Before relocating to Maine, Mr. Agneta was associate general counsel and director of intellectual property at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology and a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico. He is a registered patent attorney and a member of the National Association of University Attorneys, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Association of University Technology Managers.
Willis "Woody" Higgins, Esq.
Maine Patent Program, Senior Patent Counsel
Woody Higgins brings to the program over 35 years in intellectual property practice, including experience with patent, trademark and copyright prosecution and technology licensing. Prior to joining the Maine Patent Program in 2001 as its founding Director, he was a partner in the Palo Alto, California office of Cooley Godward, where he headed the firm's electronics and software patent prosecution practice. During his career, Woody also held positions as Patent Counsel of National Semiconductor Corporation and as a patent attorney with Motorola, Inc., IBM Corporation and Dow Chemical Corporation.
As the Program's first director, Woody has become key resource in Maine for questions on patent law, and as the state's leading expert on information technology patents. He speaks frequently throughout the state on issues regarding patents and product commercialization. Located in the Target Technology Center in Orono, Woody ensures that the Maine Patent Program has an active, state-wide reach for all inventors and works closely with the University of Maine as its patent counsel.
Woody received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
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E. Thomas Maas, Ph.D.
Maine Patent Program, Patent Advisor
Tom Maas, a registered U.S. patent agent, brings to the Maine Patent Program a unique background in innovative research and development, business development and intellectual property management. As a researcher, Tom developed technology that resulted in the issuance of numerous patents with IBM, Exxon and Amoco. Subsequently, as Technology Evaluation Manager for Amoco Technology Company, he was involved in acquisitions, business start-ups, licensing and new product targeting. His corporate career continued into the area of patents, licensing and intellectual property management when he assumed the role of patent advisor for a large research effort within the multi-national oil company, BP Amoco. At BP Amoco, he also managed licensing portfolios of various refining and production efforts.
Through Tom's initiative, the Program has become a feature of Maine's annual middle school science fair, where the best inventions are chosen and awarded prizes by the Program. Tom has recently been asked to assist the Department of Education by serving on a committee reviewing Maine Learning Results.
Tom received his B.S. with honors in Chemistry and Math from Northern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Northern Illinois University. Currently, he performs detailed novelty and patentability searches, prepares patentability opinions and educates and counsels inventors on intellectual property issues.
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