Our People
Meet our team
We are scientists at heart, and are passionate about innovation. While our professionals are highly skilled, our philosophy is all about teamwork, and so our clients get a team of attorneys and agents to focus on the issues at hand, no matter how complex. This is how we stand out.
When you hire Riverside, you hire the Team. However, we welcome and invite you to inquire more about any of our Team members individually or by technology or practice group by clicking on a practice group tab or an individual’s picture below:
Dennis L. Haas, Ph.D., J.D.
Dennis L. Haas, Ph.D., J.D.
Partner
- Ph.D. Molecular Biology and Immunology - University of Southern California
- B.S. Biology - East Stroudsburg University
- J.D. - University of Pennsylvania Law School
Dennis has broad experience in the Life Sciences industry. Before joining Riverside Law, Dennis worked as an associate in a large Philadelphia-based law firm and as patent counsel in the biopharmaceuticals group of a large multinational pharmaceutical company.
Prior to earning his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2007, Dennis completed doctoral studies in molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Southern California in 2003. His doctoral research was focused on the genetic modification of hematopoietic progenitor cells and the expression of transgenes during hematopoiesis. He is well versed in life sciences patent law, including biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He is experienced in patent preparation and prosecution, post-grant procedure, due diligence, preparing infringement, non-infringement and invalidity opinions, as well as strategic counseling and patent portfolio management. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Quang D. Nguyen, Ph.D., J.D.
Quang D. Nguyen, Ph.D., J.D.
Partner
- Ph.D. Molecular Biology and Genetics - Temple University
- B.S. Biology - West Chester University
- J.D. - Temple University Beasley School of Law
Quang began his career in intellectual property in 2003 as a patent agent, focusing mainly on the Life Sciences. Quang received his bachelor’s degree in biology from West Chester University in 1997 and his Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics from Temple University School of Medicine in 2003. While at Temple, Quang investigated the role of cellular signaling during embryonic stem cell differentiation and the role of JNK scaffolding proteins in tethering signal transduction proteins to cytoskeletal proteins and transcription factors in the laboratory of Dr. Premkumar Reddy. Quang’s industry experience includes several years as a molecular biologist at DuPont where he generated bacterial and yeast knockout strains, and as a research assistant at a biotech company where he developed hybridoma cell lines.
Quang has many years of experience in patent prosecution and focuses on the procurement of patents for a wide variety of clients and technologies. Quang also has particular experience in inventorship/ownership disputes having assisted in major stem cell litigation for many years. Quang graduated from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2011. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Justin C. Allen, M.S., J.D.
Justin C. Allen, M.S., J.D.
Partner
- M.S. Molecular and Cell Biology - MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine
- B.S. Molecular and Cell Biology - University of Arizona
- J.D. - Rutgers University School of Law
Justin has 20+ years of experience helping clients with their intellectual property matters, particularly in the medical device and bioengineering industries. While academically trained as a molecular biologist, his legal training as a patent attorney focused on technologies in the mechanical and electrical arts, including software and hardware systems. This combination of knowledge and experience allowed Justin to develop a unique skill set that is perfectly situated for handling the diverse range and crossover of technologies found in medical devices, diagnostic tools and instrumentation, tissue engineering equipment and implantable constructs, and the like.
Justin focuses his practice on strategic counseling, opinions and licensing, and the preparation and prosecution of patents, trademarks and copyrights. He also has experience in the litigation of intellectual property matters. Justin further assists clients in a variety of other contractual matters, including licensing and procuring investment.
Justin has been featured often as a speaker on intellectual property issues for academic institutions and business groups. Justin earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona and a master's degree from MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, both in the field of molecular and cell biology. After working several years as a research scientist for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont), he entered law school and received his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Justin is admitted to practice in New Jersey and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Tom McWilliams, M.S., J.D.
Tom McWilliams, M.S., J.D.
Partner
- B.S. Electrical Engineering (Physics minor) - Wilkes University, cum laude
- B.S. Industrial Engineering and Business Management (Mathematics minor) - Wilkes University, cum laude
- M.S. Electrical Engineering - Pennsylvania State University
- J.D. – University of Pittsburgh, cum laude
Tom has spent over 25 years servicing the intellectual property (IP) needs of clients varying in size from small startups to Fortune 100 companies. Tom has substantial experience in all phases of IP, including the preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patents, trademarks, and copyrights; aspects involved in assessments, evaluations and disputes regarding patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secret, copyright, domain name, and contractual matters; and the counseling of clients in IP-related contractual, opinion, transactional, and capitalization and acquisition matters.
He services clients across a broad range of technical areas, including complex circuits and electronics; computer software, hardware, and networking, as well as computing methods; semiconductors and integrated circuit fabrication; additive manufacturing; large scale manufacturing; micro- and nano-technologies; robotics; wireless, cellular, near field, and telecommunications; electromagnetic sciences; automotive and heavy equipment; content distribution, set top box and display technologies; control systems; and the mechanical and industrial arts.
In addition to the above, Tom has significant experience in representing clients in post-grant proceedings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including in inter partes review, reexamination and reissue proceedings. Tom also counsels international clients on United States and international patent practice, and has participated on behalf of his firm as a temporary in-house U.S. patent practitioner, and as a presenter on U.S. patent practice, for clients in Japan and Russia.
Tom has received numerous awards based on nominations by his peers, including being named as one of “Delaware’s Best Lawyers” in 2022. His articles about U.S. and international intellectual property have been published on numerous occasions. Tom has served as an adjunct professor of IP law at a Philadelphia-area law school, and has often been a featured speaker, both nationally and internationally, on various intellectual property issues.
Prior to joining Riverside, Tom was a partner at several AmLaw 100 firms. He was also a practicing electrical engineer prior to attending law school. Tom is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and before the USPTO.
Ryan D. Artis, B. Eng., J.D.
Ryan D. Artis, B. Eng., J.D.
Partner
- B.S.E.E. Electrical Engineering - Union College (NY)
- B.S. Industrial Economics - Union College (NY)
- J.D. - Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Ryan D. Artis is a patent and trademark attorney who focuses on helping clients including startups, small businesses, corporations and institutions with patent and trademark strategy and prosecution. Ryan’s practice includes building and protecting the intellectual property of clients throughout the United States and internationally. His experience ranges from helping early-stage businesses and individuals with their initial patent or trademark strategy, to representing established multinational corporations with large international IP portfolios. Ryan regularly advises companies and marketing departments regarding protection and freedom to operate associated with new branding, including names, logos and slogans for new goods and services.
Ryan develops patent portfolios and provides patent strategy in a variety of technology areas, including electrical, mechanical, software, consumer goods and medical device arts. Ryan also guides client development of trademark portfolios and strategies expanding across an array of industries, including for example apparel, business and financial services, healthcare, wellness and nutrition, food and beverage, cosmetics, retail, media and marketing, agriculture, automotive and transportation, electronics, chemical, energy, robotics, telecommunications, information technology and education.
Prior to joining Riverside Law, Ryan was in-house counsel at a large medical devices company, where he was responsible for patent strategy, drafting and prosecution for innovative medical devices used by oncologists and vascular access specialists. He also provided guidance for due diligence activity while participating on cross-functional business acquisition and product commercialization teams. In addition, Ryan worked closely with internal marketing groups, advising on branding and trademark strategy. Before developing an expertise in medical devices, Ryan worked at a Midwest based IP law firm, where he focused on patent prosecution and litigation support in a variety of electrical and software-based technologies.
Ryan earned a B.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Industrial Economics from Union College (NY) in 2005, and earned his J.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2010. He is admitted to the bar in New York and Pennsylvania, and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ryan enjoys spending free time with his wife and kids, exploring arts and community events in Upstate New York, and venturing out into the Adirondacks and New England for hiking, kayaking, lakes and fresh air. He also enjoys volunteering in the community, periodically serving as a member or advisor on non-profit boards and heading Riverside Law’s pro bono trademark initiative.
Pallab Singh, Ph.D., J.D.
Pallab Singh, Ph.D., J.D.
Partner
- Ph.D. Bioengineering - University of Pennsylvania
- B.S. Biomedical Engineering - University of Rochester
- J.D. - Temple University Beasley School of Law
Pallab has over ten years of experience working on the commercialization and patent protection of technologies in the fields of biologics, biotechnology, bioengineering and medical devices.
Pallab received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in biology from the University of Rochester in 2004. He earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, where he investigated the neuronal response to traumatic brain injury. During his graduate work, Pallab worked at the Center for Technology Transfer at the University of Pennsylvania where he performed technology assessments and conducted patentability evaluations of university technologies. During his time at Riverside Law, Pallab has gained extensive experience working with a wide variety of clients in patent preparation and prosecution, patent strategy, portfolio management and due diligence.
Pallab earned his law degree (summa cum laude) from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2019. During his legal studies, Pallab received the Albert L. Bricklin Memorial Award for achieving the highest cumulative grade point average in the Evening Division and the Robert C. Podwil Memorial Prize for excellence in academic performance in intellectual property.
Philip Nigon, B. Eng., J.D.
Philip Nigon, B. Eng., J.D.
Partner
- B.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering - Johns Hopkins University
- J.D. - Temple University Beasley School of Law
Phil has over 10 years of industry experience in electrical, systems, and computer engineering. This includes PCB layout and fabrication, embedded system design, and RF systems. During his career, he designed systems for defense, medical device, and consumer applications.
Phil graduated with Bachelor’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, with a minor in Computer Science. While at Johns Hopkins, Phil was involved in research projects in the fields of photonics, parallel computing, and image processing, with course work in FPGAs and mixed-signal circuit design.
Phil has extensive experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the medical device, electronics, and software spaces, in addition to newer technologies such as neural networks and artificial intelligence.
Phil earned his law degree (cum laude) from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2019.
Joshua R. Javitz, B. Eng., J.D.
Joshua R. Javitz, B. Eng., J.D.
Associate
- B.S. Electrical Engineering - University of Scranton
- J.D. - Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Josh is a patent attorney who focuses on patent procurement, counseling, and portfolio development. Josh has extensive experience counseling clients, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. In particular, he has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of U.S. and international patent applications spread across a wide range of technologies, including payment, block-chain, and e-commerce technologies; artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies; medical devices; wireless communication technologies; automotive technologies; and various consumer products. As part of his prosecution and counseling practice, Josh provides strategic guidance on developing and commercializing products, implementing patent strategies that provide added value to a client’s business, and managing risks associated with launching products and services. Josh also has experience in litigating and licensing intellectual property.
Prior to joining Riverside, Josh worked as an associate at a large IP boutique and AmLaw 100 firms. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Scranton in 2013. Josh also earned his J.D. from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in 2016. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Natalie Fonville, Ph.D.
Natalie Fonville, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
- Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology - Baylor College of Medicine
- B.S. Biochemistry - Harding University
Natalie is a patent agent with expertise in biological sciences and bioinformatics. She conducted post-doctoral research at MD Anderson in the area of human genetics and at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute on human and cancer genomics. Her thesis was titled “SOS and RecQ pathways in thymineless death and genomic stability in E. coli,” and her most recent focus has been on the identification of novel biomarkers as risk-indicators of breast and ovarian cancer predisposition.
Scott E. Allen, Ph.D.
Scott E. Allen, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry – University of Pennsylvania
- B.S. Chemistry – Penn State University
Scott is a registered patent agent who leverages his extensive background in academic organic chemistry to prepare and prosecute patent applications, as well as to prepare patentability and freedom-to-operate reviews, in the field of chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science.
Scott prepares and prosecutes patents in a variety of technology areas, including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, polymer science, materials science, small molecule chemistry, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, biochemistry, organometallics, food science, organic electroluminescence and photovoltaics, and environmental chemistry. Scott also conducts patentability searches and freedom-to-operate reviews.
Scott earned his B.S. in Chemistry at Penn State, followed by a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Marisa C. Kozlowski. The title of his thesis was, “The confluence of steric and electronic effects in N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed processes and studies toward the asymmetric oxidative coupling of phenols.” Scott is a first author on number of scientific publications, including an intensive review on copper-mediated oxidative organic chemistry. You can find his full list of publications on his Google Scholar page.
Following his graduate studies, Scott received postdoctoral training at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy under Albert A. Bowers, where he used molecular dynamics and docking simulations to examine sequence-dependent secondary structure effects in bioengineered natural products. Scott is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Scott’s hobbies include taking pictures of bugs and blowing giant bubbles. He also likes spending time with his wife and kids, who are becoming increasingly sick of bug photos and giant bubbles.
Dominika Lastovickova, Ph.D.
Dominika Lastovickova, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry - University of Texas at Austin
- B.S. Chemistry - College of the Holy Cross
- B.S. Psychology - College of the Holy Cross
Dominika N. Lastovickova is a scientific advisor with a focus in biological, chemical, and materials sciences. Dominika focuses on helping with protecting the intellectual property of clients, including universities, corporations, and small businesses, throughout the United States and internationally.
During her time at Riverside Law, Dominika has worked with a wide range of clients and gained extensive experience in patent application preparation and prosecution, patent strategy, portfolio management, and due diligence. Her experience includes patent application preparation and prosecution for a variety of technologies, specifically on matters related to biologics, biotechnology, bioengineering, polymer chemistry, composites, and nanotechnology.
Prior to joining Riverside Law, Dominika conducted an internship at the University of North Carolina Office of Commercialization and Economic Development where she aided with patenting and licensing of chemical and materials technologies. Dominika was also an ORISE postdoctoral research fellow for the DOD at U.S. Army Research Laboratory where she worked on the synthesis of robust 2D polymers for ballistic applications as well as bio-based materials for stereolithography 3D printing. Dominika’s graduate work focused on the development of redox-switchable catalysts for externally-controlled polymerizations and using isolable carbenes for small molecule activation. Dominika performed a portion of her thesis work at UNIST in South Korea as a visiting researcher. Dominika has co-authored a dozen peer-reviewed publications and a patent and presented her research at national and international meetings.
Dominika received bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and psychology from the College of the Holy Cross and earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.
Steven Taylor, Ph.D.
Steven Taylor, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
- B.S. Physics and Mathematics - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- PhD. Physics - University of Tennessee
Steven is a patent agent with 2 years of experience preparing and prosecuting patents in a variety of subject areas including semiconductor circuits and devices, telecommunications networks, electrical systems, software applications and mechanical devices. Prior to becoming a patent agent, Steven performed 6 years of academic research experience in experimental nuclear physics. He received a dual bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2011 and his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the University of Tennessee in 2018.
Steven's doctoral research focused on designing and building radiation detector systems for studying beta-delayed neutron emission of neutron rich isotopes of interest for astrophysics, nuclear reactor modeling, and stockpile stewardship.
Ali Abdulhay, B. Eng.
Ali Abdulhay, B. Eng.
Patent Agent
- B.S. Bioengineering - Temple University
Ali is a registered patent agent with research experience in the fields of bioengineering and robotics. At Riverside, Ali prepares and prosecutes patents in various subject areas including biomedical devices, computing systems, and other technologies in the mechanical and electrical arts. Prior to becoming a patent agent, Ali worked in the Biopharma industry as a systems and quality engineer.
Ali received a bachelor's degree in Bioengineering from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. During his studies, Ali held various leadership positions in Temple Robotics while leading projects for the NASA Space Exploration and Embedded Systems Lab. Ali continues to advise the club as an alumnus, providing guidance for undergraduates designing aerospace systems.
Russell Burkhardt, Ph.D.
Russell Burkhardt, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
- B.S. Chemistry - Rochester Institute of Technology
- B.S. Molecular Bioscience & Biotechnology - Rochester Institute of Technology
- M.S. Chemistry - Cornell
- Ph.D. Chemistry and Chemical Biology - Cornell
Russell is a patent agent with research experience in the fields of organic chemistry, molecular biology, and metabolomics. Russell earned his bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2015, with a double major in Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience & Biotechnology. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Cornell University in 2021, where he investigated the metabolome of Caenorhabditis elegans and the chemical differences between the sexes.
Joe-Yee Mak, M.S.
Joe-Yee Mak, M.S.
Patent Agent
- B.A. Chemistry and Chemical Biology - Cornell University
- M.S. Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Joe-Yee Mak is a patent agent with research experience in the fields of organic chemistry and polymeric materials. She obtained her bachelor's degree at Cornell University in Chemistry and Chemical Biology in 2020 and her M.S. in Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022, specializing in the design of methods to access novel organic materials.
Kajan Ratnakumar, Ph.D.
Kajan Ratnakumar, Ph.D.
Patent Agent
- B.A. Biology - New York University
- Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Kajan is a patent agent with expertise in molecular biology. Kajan received his bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in physics from the New York University in 2003. He earned a PhD from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2012; his dissertation research was carried out in the field of epigenetics with a focus on the study of histone variant proteins. After completing his graduate work, Kajan was a postdoctoral researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he developed a zebrafish model system to study cancer metastasis, and a research scientist at the University of Washington where he studied UV-induced skin cancers.
Abraham Nguyen, Ph.D.
Abraham Nguyen, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- B.S. Neuroscience and Physiology - University of California San Diego
- Ph.D. Molecular Cancer Biology - Duke University
Abraham is a scientific advisor with research experience in cancer immunology, cell and molecular biology. He received his bachelor of science in Neuroscience and Physiology at the University of California, San Diego and his PhD in Molecular Cancer Biology at Duke University. His thesis involved using fluorescent microscopy and mouse genetics to unravel the role of the serine-threonine kinase TTBK2 in cilia regulation.
Abigail DiVito Evans, Ph.D.
Abigail DiVito Evans, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park
- Ph.D. Biology - University of Pennsylvania
Abigail is a scientific advisor with research experience in epigenetics, genomics, and cell biology. She received her bachelor of science in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her thesis work involved identifying the epigenetic regulation of reproductive arrest and uncovering its natural variation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Sara Hanley, Ph.D.
Sara Hanley, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
- B.S. Biology - Lock Haven University
- Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology - Rowan University
Sara earned her bachelor's degree in Biology from Lock Haven University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from Rowan University, where she investigated the role of autophagy in stress response and tumorigenesis. Sara's thesis work focused on selective autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as the role of autophagy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression.
Luis Limon, M.S.
Luis Limon, M.S.
Scientific Advisor
- B.S. Chemistry - University of California, Santa Barbara
- M.S. Polymer Chemistry - Cornell University
Luis is a Scientific Advisor with research experience in small molecule chemistry, drug discovery, and polymer science. Luis earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2017. He then worked in the pharmaceutical industry prior to earning an M.S. in Polymer Chemistry from Cornell University in 2023, where he designed and characterized unnatural polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
Dennis Keritsis, M.S.
Dennis Keritsis, M.S.
Patent Agent
- B.S. Electrical Engineering - University of Tennessee, Knoxville, cum laude
- M.B.A - Mercer University
- M.S. Information Security: Computer Science - Western Michigan University
Dennis serves as a patent agent specializing in cryptography, blockchain, digital rights management, and machine learning. Before taking on this role, he worked as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), focusing on software business methods. This role was based in the Detroit Office. During his tenure at the USPTO, he was responsible for crafting responses to appeal briefs, drafting office actions, and conducting interviews with patent applicants.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Dennis held a position as a software engineer at the United States Air Force in Warner Robins, Georgia. In this capacity, he was involved in embedded systems and UI/UX development as a civilian employee. Additionally, he contributed to software projects for a prominent defense contractor in Long Beach, California.
Dennis holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, a Master's degree in Information Security (now known as Cybersecurity), and a Master's in Business Administration. Throughout his academic journey, he engaged in research both during his graduate and undergraduate studies. His graduate-level research encompassed Artificial Intelligence using Genetic Algorithms and Additive Manufacturing. On the undergraduate level, he focused on the design of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) for applications in the automotive industry.
Annie Motee, M.S.E.
Annie Motee, M.S.E.
Scientific Advisor
- M.S.E. Bioengineering - University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. Physics - Colgate University
Annie Motee is a scientific advisor with research experience in optics and medical imaging. She obtained her bachelor's degree at Colgate University in Physics in 2020 where she pursued research on the polarization properties of non-diffracting optical beams. She completed her M.S.E in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, specializing in medical imaging technologies and medical devices.