By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
Growing up, Christopher Storms was fascinated with outer space and the evolution of technology, and tried to stay on top of new discoveries and advances. This passion led to an undergrad degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, where he participated in the astronomy club and did research in Binary black hole systems writing code for accretion disk dispersion used in the detection of gravitational waves.
After graduating, he quickly realized that leveraging his physics background into electrical engineering would be a benefit—and seeing technology trends were leading toward exciting developments in quantum computing and communications, he earned a master’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Early on in developing his career plan, Storms spoke with people in the industry and decided to leverage his experience in various industries to secure a position as a patent engineer—and from there to become a patent agent and gain experience in patent prosecution through the USPTO.
He has seen some fascinating patents, including a bunch of odd uses for electric shocks, the classic one being for curing hiccups.
“Also at the time it was interesting to see how many patents were being filed on what I thought were fairly simple things, like variations on water guns—now seeing it from the other side and looking back, realizing the strategy that’s going into building that portfolio.”
And as they approached graduation, Storms and a friend launched Forsythe & Storms Technologies, a business through which they contemplated several projects, from fishing bobbers to self-healing materials. The project that gained the most traction and interest was a wireless electrical shock and lachrymatory devices for law enforcement.
“We spoke with police departments across the country to gain insight to police needs and later feedback on the devices we developed,” he says. “I enjoyed the long hours of work balancing engineering tasks including being the target for device testing, doing the day-to-day work involved in running the business, managing our IP, and giving presentations at conventions and to potential investors.
Needing to ensure their intellectual property was protected, and to save on attorney fees, Storms did the initial patent searching and landscaping himself, which led to writing the two patents the entrepreneurial pair was eventually granted.
Finding the work enjoyable, he spoke with IP attorneys through school programs and realized IP law was the career path he aspired toward— and now is a 1L student and IP Fellow in the part-time 4-year program at Detroit Mercy Law, with the goal of becoming a patent attorney.
He currently works full-time as a patent engineer contracted to work at Ford Global Technologies, LLC (FGTL), the IP division of Ford Motor Company.
“Working as a patent agent I get to see an invention develop from an idea in a brainstorming session with engineers into a granted patent,” he says.
“Starting out my career I didn’t think that I would end up in the automotive industry, but since moving here to work at Ford Motor Company I’ve come to appreciate the quickly moving technology and strategy that’s the foundation of the industry. I enjoy working at FGTL because I get to see leading technology trends and I get to work on different technology and projects every day—each time I start work is a new experience and challenge. And I appreciate the mentorship from the knowledgeable attorneys and colleagues I’ve the pleasure of working with.
“In IP law I’m able to leverage my experience as an engineer along with learning about new technology to help people determine the novelty of their inventions and get the best protection possible,” he adds. “I meet a lot of people, all of whom are passionate about their ideas and want to see them protected, which drives me to meet and exceed their expectations. I also find interest balancing the strategy that’s involved in what, when, and how to file the patents, leading to the strategy and decisions being made during patent prosecution.”
Storms finds being a mature student with work experience has definite advantages.
“Having the practical experience lends itself to being able to relate what I’m learning to situations that I have first-hand experience with,” he says. “I’m also able to hit the ground running with taking notes and writing because I have a background knowledge on what to expect for legal documents.”
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