Cecily Anne O’Regan is Of Counsel in the Firm’s San Francisco office, and a registered patent attorney with over 25 years of experience in patent and intellectual property law. Ms. O’Regan focuses her practice on securing worldwide intellectual property protection and related business strategy for emerging technology clients, with an emphasis in the medical device, biometric, software, and clean technology sectors.

As an entrepreneurial patent professional, Ms. O’Regan combines legal, academic, and business credentials with her hands-on experience in providing strategic, market-focused patent portfolio development and intellectual property advice for clients. She also performs patent due diligence to assess patent portfolios for venture capital investment, mergers and acquisitions, and licensing opportunities.

Ms. O’Regan is a named inventor on eight issued patents and 12 patent publications in the medical device and software fields. She is also Adjunct Faculty at the University of San Francisco, School of Management where she has taught Entrepreneurial Management and Entrepreneurial Law. She is also a frequent business plan competition judge and entrepreneur mentor. Ms. O’Regan is a published author on intellectual property law, as well as the past president of the Palo Alto University Rotary Club of Rotary International. In 2015, the Palo Alto University Rotary Club awarded Ms. O’Regan the Bo Smith Award for blending the club’s vision with that of Rotary International, in 2016 she was awarded the Kenneth C. Kaufman Charter President Award for being the most innovative member in keeping with the club’s maverick culture, and in 2018 she was awarded the President’s Award for service above and beyond the call of duty.

In 2022 & 2023, Ms. O’Regan was selected by Intellectual Asset Management as a recommended practitioner on the annual Patent 1000 list.

Bar Admissions

• California
• Massachusetts
• District of Columbia
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Canadian Patent Office (inactive)
• Solicitor in the Senior Courts of England and Wales (inactive)

Education

• San Francisco School of Law
• University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• University of California, Irvine

Significant Accomplishments

Medical Technology Patents

• U.S. Patent 7,502,641 for Method for Imaging the Relative Motion of Skeletal Segments
• U.S. Patent 8,417,328 for Electrical Systems for Detection and Characterization of Abnormal Tissue and Cells
• U.S. Patent 8,676,293 for Devices, Systems and Methods for Measuring and Evaluating the Motion and Function of Joint Structure and Associated Muscles, Determining Suitability for Orthopedic Intervention, and Evaluating the Efficacy of Orthopedic Intervention
• U.S. Patent 8,721,572 for Systems, Devices, Kits and Methods for Therapy of the Eye
• U.S. Patent 8,771,205 for Cough Detector
• U.S. Patent 8,777,878 for Devices, Systems and Methods for Measuring and Evaluating the Motion and Function of Joints and Associated Muscles
• U.S. Patent 9,026,190 for Portable Physiological Parameter Detection and Monitoring Device with Integratable Computer Memory and Communication Disk, Systems and Methods of Use Therefor
• U.S. Patent 9,277,879 for Systems and Devices for Integrated Imaging System with Real-Time Feedback Loops and Methods Therefor
• U.S. Patent 9,491,415 for Methods, Systems and Devices for Spinal Surgery Position Optimization
• U.S. Patent 9,566,030 for Optical System for Detection and Characterization of Abnormal Tissue and Cells
• U.S. Patent 10,028,858 for Intrauterine Systems, IUD Insertion Devices, and Related Methods and Kits Therefor

Electronics and Software Patents

• U.S. Patent 8,374,407 for Live Finger Detection
• U.S. Patent 8,600,122 for Apparatus and Method for Culling Substantially Redundant Data in Fingerprint Sensing Circuits
• U.S. Patent 8,698,594 for System, Device and Method for Securing a User Device Component by Authenticating the User of a Biometric Sensor by Performance of a Replication of a Portion of an Authentication Process Performed at a Remote Computing Device
• U.S. Patent 8,716,613 for Apparatus and Method for Electrostatic Discharge Protection
• U.S. Patent 8,787,632 for Apparatus and Method for Reducing Noise in Fingerprint Sensing Circuits
• U.S. Patent 8,799,666 for Secure User Authentication Using Biometric Information
• U.S. Patent 8,810,457 for Orthogonal Modular Embedded Antenna with Method of Manufacture and Kits Therefor
• U.S. Patent 8,811,723 for User Input Utilizing Dual Line Scanner Apparatus and Method
• U.S. Patent 8,821,242 for Systems and Methods for Enhancing Cognition
• U.S. Patent 8,904,495 for Secure Transaction Systems and Methods
• U.S. Patent 9,116,509 for Rhythm Brain Fitness Processes and Systems
• U.S. Patent 9,595,758 for Dual-band, Series-aligned Antenna, Method of Manufacture and Kits Therefor
• U.S. Patent 9,716,314 for Steering Systems and Methods
• U.S. Patent 9,747,097 for Devices, Systems and Methods for Segmented Device Behavior

Miscellaneous Patents

• U.S. Patent 8,393,298 for Aquarium with Airlift-Generated Rotating Water Flow, Methods of Use and Kits Therefor
• U.S. Patent 8,821,205 for Low-Drag Fin and Foil System for Surfboards

• Intellectual Property: Overview and Strategies for Entrepreneurs
• Using GATT-TRIPs to improve Development Opportunities: A Proposal for Central America
• Tips for Getting the Most out of a Bootstrapped IP Budget
• Is Intellectual Property a Hurdle for Transferring Technology to Developing Countries? If so, How High of a Hurdle?
• To Cite or Not to Cite-That is the Question: The Dilemma Faced by U.S. Patent Practitioners in the Wake of McKesson
• Can the United States Meet its Obligation to Protect Intellectual Property Rights Under the International GATT/TRIPs Agreement After the Florida Prepaid Cases?