Education

Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering
Louisiana State University (2000)

Juris Doctorate
Paul M. Hebert School of Law at Louisiana State University (2006)

Did I Want to Be a Lawyer?

No. At 25 years old I had a great job as a chemical engineer for a major chemical company, but something wasn’t right. A costly contract for natural gas was impacting results despite the efforts of management and engineering. I stood in the gravel wearing a hardhat and safety glasses between my unit and an ammonia plant that was recently shuttered for the same concern. In the frustration of not being able to help with the unit’s most important problem, the previously unthinkable became the most obvious.

By changing careers, I could help people with the legal relationships at the core of their business. With my engineering background and three years of law school, I could do it one patent application at a time. Eighteen years later, that opportunity is still why I practice law.

Edel Patents’ Origin Story

I was doing the standard billable hour grind for one of the largest firms in Baton Rouge from perhaps the most expensive leased space in the city. My church was across the street, but far enough below that I had to get close to the window for a good look.

From that perch, I added up the small fortune my clients were paying … payments for that premium office space and for the names of retired old men on letterhead I did not use. I was embarrassed for the numbers I saw. You could say the calculator made me do it. The numbers made it clear that I could give more service to my clients for the same price and still have a better work life balance. Starting Edel Patents changed my life. I don’t need to stay an hour late if I spend a non-billable hour helping a client.

Giving all the time that is needed to each project and doing so for a reasonable fee means the world to me as an attorney. Edel Patents has been giving me the freedom to do just that since 2012.

A Patent Focused Practice

John’s first job after law school was as a patent examiner in the chemical arts for the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Since returning to Louisiana to practice law, the cornerstone of John’s patent practice has been drafting patent applications and working to get those applications granted.

John has a broad range of experience getting patents for clients in diverse fields including chemicals, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering and other mechanical arts.

Trademarks

John has also been assisting clients with trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since leaving the USPTO in 2007.