Farhad Shir has been a registered patent agent in the firm since 2007. Mr. Shir received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Shiraz University, Iran, in 1989, a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The George Washington University, Washington DC, in 2004, and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Virginia, in 2012.   
     
Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Shir worked as a Senior Patent Analyst from 2004 to 2007 at a prominent intellectual property search and analysis firm in Alexandria, Virginia, where he performed competitive IP analysis, strategically evaluated companies’ patent portfolios and business information to implement offensive and defensive strategies in management of their IP assets, and reviewed competitor IP positions. Additionally, he made recommendations to legal and corporate teams to help guide their decision making process, and conducted patent research for the legal community to aid in patentability, validity, invalidity, and infringement/freedom-to-operate opinions.
     
During his doctoral research, Dr. Shir has worked with scholars at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the areas of magnetism, refrigeration, nanotechnology, and material science. He has published several technical papers in collaboration with scientists at NIST.
     
Dr. Shir is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. With his diverse background and expertise, he focuses his patent prosecution practice in the areas of electrical, mechanical, chemical, physics, and materials science arts including, among others, semiconductor technologies, micro machined devices, nanotechnology, cellular and digital communications, image displays, printers, data storage systems, polymers and plastics, electronic chemicals, display technologies, electromagnetic devices, physical sciences, medical devices, HVAC systems, optical systems and materials, wireless devices, data processing systems, thermal-fluid devices, automotive components and electronics, light emitting devices, business methods, and computer software and hardware.

     PUBLICATIONS
     

      • F. Shir, "Mind-Reading System – A Cutting-Edge Technology," International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 6, 7 (2015) 7.

     • F. Shir, "Is your invention novel? The issue of prior art," Book Chapter, in Intellectual Property in Academia: A Practical Guide for Scientists and Engineers, CRC Press, 2011.
     
     • F. Shir, L. Yanik, L.H. Bennett, E. Della Torre, R.D. Shull, "Room temperature active regenerative magnetic refrigeration: Magnetic Nanocomposites," Journal of Applied Physics, 93, 10 (2003) 8295.
     
     • F. Shir, E. Della Torre, L.H. Bennett, C. Mavriplis, R.D. Shull, "Modeling of magnetization and demagnetization in magnetic refrigeration," IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 40, 4 (2004) 2098.
     
     • F. Shir, C. Mavriplis, L.H. Bennett, E. Della Torre, "Analysis of room temperature magnetic regenerative refrigeration," International Journal of Refrigeration, 28, 4 (2005) 616.
     
     • F. Shir, C. Mavriplis, L.H. Bennett, "Effect of Magnetic Field Dynamics on the Copper-Constantan Thermocouple Performance," Instrumentation Science & Technology, 33, 6 (2005) 661.
     
     • F. Shir, L.H. Bennett, E. Della Torre, C. Mavriplis, R.D. Shull, "Transient response in magnetocaloric regeneration," IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 41, 6 (2005) 2129.