Robert S. Katz

Robert S. Katz serves as a Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School, bringing over 30 years of specialized expertise in intellectual property law with a focus on industrial designs and design patents. A practicing attorney at Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. since 1992, he is internationally recognized for advancing design patent procurement and enforcement strategies in both domestic and global contexts.

Education:

• BS, Carnegie Mellon University
• JD, George Washington University

Mr. Katz's professional work centers on the intersection of mechanical engineering and legal protection for industrial designs, leveraging his background as a former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office examiner and mechanical engineer at Digital Equipment Corp. His scholarship emphasizes pretrial litigation tactics in intellectual property disputes, informed by prior teaching of Intellectual Property Pretrial Litigation Skills at Georgetown University Law School.

Professional Leadership:

• Treasurer of the U.S. Section, International Federation of Industrial Property Attorneys (FICPI)
• Former Chairman, Industrial Designs Section (FICPI and American Intellectual Property Law Association)
• Member, AIPLA Special Committee on Legislation Industrial Designs Working Group
• Member, Intellectual Trademark Association Presidential Task Force on Trademarks and Innovation