Bob Beck is a seasoned patent prosecutor and business counselor. His practice focuses on medical devices with an expertise in due diligence representation for companies involved in acquisitions. His most recent project was representation of Veran Medical Technologies in its recent acquisition by Olympus Corporation of America.
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 Corp of Germany. After Medtronic, Bob joined Merchant and Gould and later formed the boutique patent firm Beck and Tysver with partner Dan Tysver. Recently, Bob became of counsel at Beck and Tysver. He looks forward to continuing his work with medical device clients utilizing the enhanced resources and capabilities of Forsgren Fisher.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Minnesota
- Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association
- Adjunct Professor of Patent Law, University of Minnesota Law School (1993-1999)
- Adjunct Professor of Software and Technology Law, University of St. Thomas, Graduate Programs in Software (2000-2004)