Bruce Kugler is a partner in the firm’s patent prosecution group. His practice focuses primarily on patent prosecution and client counseling in the areas of mechanical, electro-mechanical, chemical and process engineering.
Bruce’s expertise includes decades of experience developing IP strategies related to oil and gas products, mining equipment, electronics, and battery technology, environmental technology, manufacturing processes, and outdoor consumer products related to archery, firearms, and ballistics. Bruce is also a Registered Professional Engineer in Colorado and has seven years of engineering experience.
Regardless of technology, Bruce thrives on developing strong relationships with his clients.
“I love the interaction with the clients and the creativity involved protecting their products.” “It’s great to collaborate with successful businesses and be a partner in developing strategies for their product development.”
Bruce also provides counsel in the areas of trademark law, litigation and licensing. He represents and manages the IP portfolios of numerous international companies including the world’s largest manufacturer of metal containers, a Japanese electronics company, and the world’s largest manufacturer of precast concrete. Bruce has also testified as an expert witness in a downhole drilling mud motor case.
Bruce’s commitment to service is rooted in his days working alongside in-house counsel at a global oil and gas company. “Being involved in a service-oriented business gives me a better perspective on expectations and responsiveness to clients,” he says. He couples his focus on service with a lifelong interest in science and engineering. “I like the blending of technology and legal issues, and I enjoy the variety of different technologies and creative people I get to interact with every day.”
Bruce received his bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, where he currently sits on the Board of Technology Transfer. Prior to attending law school at the University of Denver, he played football at the United States Air Force Academy, and worked for seven years offshore Louisiana in the oil and gas industry as a Petroleum Engineer with Tenneco and Atlantic Richfield Corp. Bruce is a Colorado native who enjoys skiing, cycling, bow hunting and most outdoor activities in the Rocky Mountains.
University of Denver College of Law (J.D., 1992)
Colorado School of Mines (B.S., Petroleum Engineering, 1981)
U.S. Air Force Academy (1977-1978)
- Intellectual Property in Employment
- Patent Office Post Grant Proceedings
- Patent Prosecution
- Business Methods
- Chemistry
- Green Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
Colorado
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Colorado Registered Professional Engineer
Presentations and Publications:
- Panelist: “Patent Pandemonium,” Denver Startup Week, Denver, Colorado, 2015. View edited version of panel discussion.
- Panelist, Colorado Cleantech Challenge with the Oil & Gas Commission, Denver, Colorado, 2015.
- Speaker: “Patent Versus Trade Secret Protections: The Benefits and Pitfalls,” American Chemical Society National Conference, Denver, Colorado, 2015.
- Speaker: “Patent Pandemonium: Protecting Innovations in Today’s Marketplace” Denver Startup Week, Denver, Colorado, October 2015.
- Speaker: “Lifestyle of an Entrepreneur” Colorado School of Mines Alumni Forum, Golden, Colorado, 2013.
- Roundtable Panelist: “Changing Expectations: How are law firms handling client expectations, employee expectations and expectations of the changing economy” Law Week Colorado, June 20, 2011.
- Presenter: “Design Patents – Pitfalls and Strategies for Success” 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property and Technology Institute, Colorado, 2010.
Litens Automotive v. Zen S.A. and Zen North America Corp. (S.D. Fla.) – Counsel for Defendants against claims of patent infringement relating to overrunning alternator decoupler pulleys. Defendants also asserted a patent misuse affirmative defense. The action was resolved through settlement on terms favorable to Defendants.
Oldcastle Precast, Inc. v. Jensen Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Jensen Precast (E.D. Cal.) – Counsel for Plaintiff asserting claims of patent infringement against a competitor in the precast concrete industry. The action resolved through settlement on terms favorable to Plaintiff.
Hawg Tools LLC v. Newsco International Energy Services, Inc. et al., (D. Colo.). — Expert Witness with respect to patent and trade secret issues regarding a downhole drilling mud motor assembly.
Robert Sauber v. Professional Bull Riders, Inc., (N.D. Ill.). — Counsel for defendant in a declaratory judgment action involving claims of trademark infringement, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition.
eBags, Inc. v. Godwin Ude and Kingdom Assets, (D. Colo.). — Counsel for plaintiff in an action for trademark and trade dress infringement and unfair competition.
StormTrap, LLC v. Oldcastle Precast, Inc. (D.N.J). — Counsel for Defendant in a patent infringement lawsuit related to stormwater retention and storage devices.
Managing IP Stars, 2015-2016
IAM Patent 1000, 2014-2024
Colorado Super Lawyers, 2012-2022
