Homer Knearl - Intellectual Property Attorney
Homer Knearl has extensive experience in the practice of intellectual property law and the management of intellectual property assets. Mr. Knearl began his career with IBM Corporation where he provided intellectual property law support in the business areas of personal computers, mid-range computers and RISC systems. While at IBM, Mr. Knearl worked as Intellectual Property Counsel at IBM Plant in Rochester, Minnesota, and later as Vice President and Corporate Intellectual Property Counsel at U.S. Headquarters of IBM in Somers, New York.
As Intellectual Property Counsel in IBM Rochester, Mr. Knearl supported the development lab there in all intellectual property matters, including strategy, protection and licensing. In addition he provided counsel on all types of intellectual property-related contracts such as purchasing contracts, confidential disclosure agreements, and joint-development agreements.
As Corporate Intellectual Property Counsel, Mr. Knearl supervised Intellectual Property Departments at IBM Plants in Boca Raton, Florida, Austin, Texas, and Rochester, Minnesota. He also supported the Corporate Staff at IBM US Headquarters working with the Personal Computer Division, the RISC System Division and the Mid-Range Computer Division.
Mr. Knearl elected to take early retirement from IBM and enter the private practice of intellectual property law in Boulder, Colorado. He and Mr. Earl Hancock formed a partnership there in 1992. The partnership of Hancock and Knearl joined with the Boulder Office of Holland & Hart in 1994. Later Merchant & Gould in 1998 recruited Mr. Knearl and two other intellectual property attorneys to start their Denver Office. While practicing at Merchant & Gould, Mr. Knearl worked to develop the practice of the Denver Office and acted as mentor to associates in the Denver Office. After practicing with Merchant & Gould for eight years, Mr. Knearl retired from Merchant & Gould in 2006.
Since retiring from Merchant & Gould, Mr. Knearl has acted as an independent contractor to assist the Boulder, Colorado, intellectual property law firm of Neugeboren and O’Dowd in their practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office. In 2009, Mr. Knearl set up his own law office doing business as FairWind Ventures LLC in Denver-Boulder, Colorado. He now concentrates on providing intellectual property strategy and protection assistance to start-up and small companies as well as assistance in commercializing their inventions.
