MANAGING MEMBER

Jean Edwards has more than 25 years of experience advising clients at the intersection of intellectual property, technology, business, and international law. Her practice encompasses intellectual property, AI compliance and auditing, government contracts, export controls and ITAR, corporate law, probate matters, and immigration.

Jean specializes in counseling high-technology companies on the protection, commercialization, and strategic management of their intellectual property portfolios, representing clients ranging from startups to multi-million dollar enterprises. Her experience includes patent prosecution, trademark and copyright registration, patent litigation support, opinion work, and licensing of all forms of intellectual property. She also advises clients on technology licensing, data rights, and the legal risks associated with artificial intelligence, including governance, compliance, and contractual protections.

In addition, Jean represents businesses in corporate matters, including entity formation, governance, contracts, and operational strategy, often serving as outside general counsel. She advises companies on government contracts, regulatory compliance, and export control issues, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and related cross-border technology transfer concerns. Her practice also includes immigration matters, particularly employment-based petitions for professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs, as well as select family-based immigration matters. She further assists individuals and families with elder care advocacy, probate and estate administration.

Her technical expertise spans a wide range of industries, including aeronautics, wired circuit boards, imaging and optical systems, radiographic equipment, nanotechnology, financial systems, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, software, video games, semiconductors, fuel cells, automotive safety systems, robotics, and consumer products. Jean has also represented clients in Section 337 litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission and has a specialty in design patents.

Jean began her legal career in intellectual property at Sughrue Mion in 1996. In 2000, she served as Of Counsel at Sonnenschein (now Dentons) and later became a Partner at Dickinson Wright LLP, all based in Washington, D.C. She subsequently headed the IP Group at Akerman Senterfitt LLP in Tysons Corner, Virginia. In 2011, she co-founded Edwards Neils, with offices in Reston, Virginia, then Annapolis, Maryland, and now Nashville, Tennessee.

Prior to her legal career, Jean spent ten years with the U.S. government in international roles and five years as a mechanical engineer and project manager with Cordis Corporation, now part of Johnson & Johnson, in Miami, Florida. She also served as Manufacturing Manager for Elexis Corporation, a consumer electronics company.

Jean is an Adjunct Professor teaching Intellectual Property and Business Law at Cumberland University in Lebanon, 

Jean holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami, as well as a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in French (Honors) from Emporia State University. She earned her J.D. (Honors) from the University of Miami and a Master’s degree (Dean’s List) from Harvard University in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, along with a Certificate in International Security from Harvard. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is a member of the Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, and Florida Bars. She is fluent in French and has working knowledge of Spanish.

Mark Cooper is a registered Patent Attorney with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of intellectual property law, including domestic and international patent law. His expertise spans patent prosecution, litigation support, infringement opinions, licensing, and agreements. Mark has extensive experience in the chemical, mechanical, and electrical arts, which encompasses pharmaceuticals, medical devices, films, adhesives, polymers, elastomers, and formulations.

Mark earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center and holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is licensed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is authorized to practice in Texas and Connecticut, specializing in patent prosecution and trademark registration.

Maureen has 12 years of experience in intellectual property law at Edwards Neils, where she manages patent prosecution and trademark prosecution matters. She particularly specializes in trademark registration and takes great satisfaction in securing trademark registrations for the firm’s clients.

Maureen holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.) from Kampala International University and a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from the University of Maryland. During her time in law school, she clerked at the Supreme Court of Uganda in Kampala. Currently, Maureen is actively pursuing bar membership in the State of Maryland and is fluent in English, Swahili, and some German.

Max has fourteen years of experience in intellectual property law at Edwards Neils, in patents and trademarks. His technical expertise spans cutting-edge computer software technologies, including AI, and the biological and chemical sciences. Max is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biotechnology at Harvard University, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Digital Media from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He plans to take the Patent Bar in the near future. Max also holds a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University and a second Bachelor's degree in Literature from American University. Max speaks intermediate Spanish.

Paul Neils was one of the founding partners of Edwards Neils and was with the firm from 2011 until December 2021. He is remembered for his extensive experience in intellectual property law, amassing almost 30 years in the field. Of this, 19 years were spent at Sughrue Mion in Washington DC, where he served as a Partner and Senior Manager for a decade, focusing on patent prosecution. From 2008 to 2011, Paul was part of Akerman Senterfitt's Intellectual Property Practice in Tysons Corner, Virginia, where he contributed to trademark registration efforts. Before his law firm experience, he spent 6 years as a Patent Examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Paul authored treatises on design patents and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University, as well as a J.D. from the Catholic University of America.