Constance’s practice focuses on protecting inventions and company know-how. In particular, she assists clients with technology licensing, strategic alliances, joint development agreements, IP asset transfers, and intellectual property portfolio reviews, as well as patent and trade secrets protection. She is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and holds degrees in physics, computer science, biophysics (PhD). She has experience advising clients in a wide variety of technology industries, including semiconductor, medical devices, robotics, software, electronics, networking devices, and cryptography. Her experience also includes applications in artificial intelligence and computer industry standards. She is a former patent litigator and trial attorney, with 20 years of experience in intellectual property matters.
In addition to IP transactions, Constance’s experience also includes preparing freedom-to-operate opinions and patentability searches, and has conducted numerous patent portfolio evaluations for start-ups, venture capitalists, and a university seeking strategic counseling in the medical devices and robotics industries. She has advised clients on variety of intellectual property licenses, joint development agreements, and software service agreements.
Before joining Acceleron Law Group, Constance founded AKIRA IP, an Oakland-based law firm since 2017, specializing in intellectual property transactions and patent prosecution services. Prior to that, she was a partner at several major, US-based international law firms, including Hogan Lovells US LLP and Howrey LLP. Before entering law school, Constance was a research scientist in mathematical modeling and computer simulations of biological control systems at NASA Ames Research Center, The Rockefeller University, and the University of California at Berkeley.