Bob Beck, an icon in the world of patent law, retired in August 2023 after practicing law for 45 years, including the last two and a half with our firm. Bob had focused his practice on medical devices with a special expertise in due-diligence representation of companies involved in acquisitions.
Bob serendipitously found his way into patent law through a college job in the patent department of a paper machinery company in Wisconsin. After becoming a Patent Agent, he began the arduous task of night law school in Chicago while holding down a day job in Beloit, Wisconsin. After his wife Mary finished graduate school, they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota with Bob joining the 3M Patent Department and Mary teaching in the Maplewood school district. It was at 3M that Bob found his way to medical device practice. At 3M, he worked on intraocular lens technology and cochlear implants. In 1978, Bob joined Medtronic and was responsible for the “implantable pulse generator portfolio” for 10 years. Bob drafted and prosecuted a patent that was successfully litigated, resulting in a $300 million settlement from Siemens. After Medtronic, Bob joined Merchant and Gould and later formed the boutique patent firm Beck & Tysver with partner Dan Tysver.
When Forsgren Fisher launched in January 2021, Bob was part of our initial group and provided wise counsel to clients and colleagues alike. “The legacy Bob leaves behind is one of commitment, laughter, and unparalleled patent expertise. While his clients will miss his counsel, I will miss the camaraderie we shared for twenty-five remarkable years,” said partner Dan Tysver.
Our firm was lucky to have Bob Beck with us as we got off the ground, and we look forward to his presence, if no longer his law practice, with us long into the future. Bob can be reached at rbeck@forsgrenfisher.com.