Victor Kernus
Of Counsel / Washington, D.C. Metro Office
Driven by an innate curiosity and a limitless thirst for knowledge, Victor helps clients develop effective strategies that secure and leverage their intellectual property. He has considerable experience in every phase of patent protection, from patent drafting and prosecution to patent appeals. His practice focuses on providing IP solutions in several developing areas, including electric vehicle (EV) battery systems, autonomous vehicle navigation, advanced lighting technologies, aerospace design and manufacturing, medical technology, resource reclamation, and advanced energy systems.
Victor began his career as a mechanical engineer for the Department of the Navy, designing testing systems for aircraft aircrew safety systems. He has written thousands of patent applications and is a patent holder himself. His experience, technical background, and ability to comprehensively listen to the objectives of inventors and innovators make him an invaluable partner to a wide range of clients. He approaches his counsel as an integral part of the patent drafting process. Based on his experience writing his own patent, he is meticulous and thorough in explaining all facets of the document to his clients. His overarching goal is to ensure inventors are an integral part of the process and that they completely understand and agree with the document being filed. This thorough, practical, and informed approach makes him an invaluable partner for entrepreneurs as well as multinational corporations.
Practice Areas
Industries
REPRESENTATIVE PATENT & TRADEMARK MATTERS
- Prepared and prosecuted patent applications related to numerous vehicle systems including electrical systems, energy storage systems, body components, electric motors and internal combustion engines (ICS), and transmission systems.
- Counseled major energy company with over $1M in annual revenues on a range of intellectual property issues, including patent protection strategies, trade secrets, and related matters.
- Provided strategic advice to startups and medium-sized companies in developing trademark and copyright protection strategies.
Victor began his career designing safety testing equipment for naval aircraft aircrew safety systems including energy attenuating seats and ejection seats. Victor also helped the Navy create alternative revenue streams for the Horizontal Accelerator facility by the developing the ability to test child safety seats. While working on a potential patent for that equipment, he became interested in intellectual property law. He worked his way through law school while clerking at a two-attorney, Washington, D.C.-area IP law firm. He gained additional experience and became a partner at a midsized D.C. firm. He holds a patent for a particular starter motor connector and was a certified master automobile mechanic as well as a master electrician.
He has enjoyed a lifelong love of fly fishing and has been a volunteer with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing as an assistant program lead, fly tying instructor and guide for over 13 years. He was also active in Casting for Recovery, a fly-fishing charity that supports breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Victor is an active amateur radio enthusiast and regularly mentors young inventors through his involvement with the Invention Convention.
AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS
- 50 Top Alumni Engineers, Temple University College of Engineering, 2023
MEMBERSHIPS
- American Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Intellectual Property Owners Association, Trademark Office Practice Committee Member
- The Virginia Bar Association
CIVIC & CHARITABLE
- Casting for Recovery, Volunteer, 2007-2014
- Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, 2014-2024
- Invention Convention, Patent Advisor
- Temple University College of Engineering Board of Governors 2020-2023
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase Izaak Walton League of America Board of Governors 2021-2022
LANGUAGES
- Hebrew
Education
J.D., George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law, 2002
Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, Mechanical Engineering, Temple University, 1996
Bar & Court Admissions
- Virginia
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Supreme Court of Virginia
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Commencement Address, Temple University College of Engineering, 2019
- “Introduction to Intellectual Property”, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), George Mason College of Engineering, 2018
