Dr. Adam Pivovar is an associate in the Intellectual Property Litigation practice group and a member of Cooley Litigation department. He initially joined the Firm in 2006 and rejoined the Firm after appellate and trial court clerkships with Judge Jimmie V. Reyna of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Judge Sara Darrow of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. He is resident in the Washington, DC office.
Dr. Pivovar's practice focuses on complex business litigation, with an emphasis on patent and technology-related disputes. Dr. Pivovar has litigated patent and technology cases involving biotechnology, medical diagnostics, genetically engineered microbes, biofuels, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical formulations, clinical PCR devices, chemical synthesis and processing, semiconductors, computer software and databases, mobile telephones, computer-integrated telephone equipment, and teleconferencing. He has also represented various pro bono clients, including successfully representing a victim of domestic violence at trial.
Dr. Pivovar has extensive experience with a variety of complex, developing, and commercially relevant technologies. Before joining Cooley as an attorney, Dr. Pivovar was a Staff Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research. At NIST, he was responsible for leading research efforts on projects involving biocatalysis, biopharmaceuticals, protein synthesis and covalent modifications, protein folding studies, solid state chemistry, organic crystals, molecular electronics, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage materials. His staff appointment was preceded by a two-year National Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship award, which involved studies of protein folding, biostability, and enzyme function. Dr. Pivovar has published numerous articles in various scientific journals, and was regularly invited to give presentations at scientific meetings and universities on the topics of his research. In addition to his research efforts, Dr. Pivovar spent considerable time engaged in policy and research funding initiatives, including roles in the National Hydrogen Energy Roadmap Workshop and review of funding proposals for NIST and the National Science Foundation.
In addition to his practice, Dr. Pivovar is a contributing editor for PTAB Digest, a leading resource which tracks and analyzes PTAB decisions.
Dr. Pivovar received his J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School in 2006. Upon graduation, Dr. Pivovar was the national recipient of the prestigious Jan Jancin Award, an award administered by the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation that recognizes outstanding student achievement in intellectual property law. George Washington University recognized his academic achievements with the Peter D. Rosenberg Award in Patent and Intellectual Property Law. He was also recognized as the top IP student in his graduating class by his selection as George Washington University's nominee for the Jan Jancin Award. At George Washington, Dr. Pivovar was an associate with The American Intellectual Property Law Association Journal and a member of the moot court board.
Dr. Pivovar earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. His thesis research involved the design, synthesize, and characterization of novel organic solid state materials. He obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Pivovar is a member of the State Bar of California and the District of Columbia Bar.
