Heather Mullinix Rowland
Education:
Paralegal Certificate, Corporate Specialty, May 1999
Legal Assistants’ Program, ABA Approved, Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, May 1995
Minor: Psychology
Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina
Notary Public since 2000
Experience:
Infineon Technologies North America Corp. Durham, North Carolina
Patent Administrator March 2004 – January 2013
• Maintain shared database used to track company’s patent portfolio.
• Process and maintain records of company’s North American invention disclosures to include entering inventor data.
• Run searches through IPMS (Intellectual Property Management System) database as requested by attorneys and clients.
• Review and process documents related to U.S. and foreign patent prosecution received from outside counsel and foreign associates, including docketing important data and upcoming deadlines, drafting responses to outside counsel, etc.
• Maintain time limits to ensure the meeting of deadlines for patent cases.
• Work closely with colleagues in Germany and handle time limits for their cases as requested.
• Answer questions as appropriate from outside counsel, colleagues in Germany and Singapore, and inventors.
• Obtain subsequent filing decisions from home office in Germany and inform outside counsel and foreign associates as appropriate.
• Maintain log of shared invention disclosures with other companies and correspond with those companies accordingly.
• Assist patent attorneys in the preparation and filing of U.S. patent applications filed in-house to include filing applications, docketing office actions, filing amendments/responses, IDSs, etc.
• Frequently use public information obtained from PAIR and foreign patent offices.
• Process invoices for cases handled in North America.
• Handle booking of international travel for legal department and processing expense reports.
Ericsson Inc. Morrisville, North Carolina
Paralegal – Intellectual Property June 1999 – March 2004
• Process all incoming invention disclosures to total approximately 175 disclosures per year.
• Responsible for docketing the disclosure, sending out for review, and tracking.
• Update shared database to ensure smooth transition from priority filing to subsequent filing.
• Responsible for U.S. and foreign filing inventor awards for all RTP employees.
• Oversee three outside counsel firms handling prosecution of patent, design and trademark applications.
• Serve as liaison between inventors and outside counsel to help ensure the timely and efficient prosecution of patent applications.
• Answer questions as appropriate from outside counsel and paralegals.
• Process all patent coordinating development of new access-based paperless office system for monitoring of patent prosecution.
• Responsible for producing and tracking 5-10 standard non-disclosure agreements per month.
• Serve as primary contact for standard non-disclosure agreements.
North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors Raleigh, North Carolina
Administrative Assistant November 1995 – June 1999
• Answer multi-line telephone.
• Process daily mail.
• Handle 100 – 200 applications per month for various licensing examinations.
• Review applications for errors, put into database, and mail seating notices for engineer applicants.
• Process land surveying and student engineering license applications.
• Assist Continuing Education and Business Licensing Supervisor with applications.
• Process temporary permits for land surveying.
Skills and Abilities:
• MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, IPMS, Outlook, USPTO PAIR and private PAIR
• Communication: Strong written and verbal presentation skills. Deal with clients and outside counsel on a daily basis, on the phone and in person.