What do you do for a living?

[IUFLA]

14 minutes ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Like HoosierHoopster, I’m an attorney.  I practice patent law as a partner in a law firm.  I have a diverse practice where I draft and secure patents for clients, render legal opinions on patents for clients, and litigate patents in federal courts.  

For anyone interested, I will explain these aspects.  To obtain a patent, I write up a document akin to a college paper on the technology.  You explain things like what it is, how it works, how you practice it, what problems existed and how they are addressed., etc.  You then have some “claims” which define the scope of your protection.  To catch an infringer, he or she must be practicing something within the definition of what you claimed.  So, great care goes into how you claim your technology.   In a legal opinion, a client might want to know, do I have a problem with so and so competitor’s patent?  Or the client might say, my competitor is ripping me off.  Do they fall within my patent?  In litigation, I either represent my client enforcing a patent they think someone else is infringing, or someone is suing my client for infringing their patent.   Occasionally, I work on a license of a patent between two entities.   

My clients tend to be major corporations or academic institutions in the US or abroad.  Because my US clients often want protection in major markets around the world, I also work with attorneys in various other countries to secure the best protection for my clients in those markets.  Occasionally I get into contested matters abroad too. 

Patents involve technology, so I enjoy the opportunity to immerse myself in various new technologies.  The reason I went to law school was to pursue patent law since I enjoy technology.  I have to actually understand the technology to handle any aspects of patent law.  It can be a challenge at times to learn a new technology but in my field you can’t be afraid of it.  You kind of have to have that tinkerer mindset.  

For those interested, I hope I explained it well!  I’m very enthusiastic about it and feel lucky that I found a field that I enjoy.    

Very cool...been interested in this since I found out my great grandfather was an inventor and held patents on things like this mortising machine back in the late 1800s. Latham W Greenleaf was my great grandfather (mother's side) and George was his brother and the father of Robert K Greenleaf who's credited with defining Servant Leadership principles.

[BobSaccamanno]

3 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

Very cool...been interested in this since I found out my great grandfather was an inventor and held patents on things like this mortising machine back in the late 1800s. Latham W Greenleaf was my great grandfather (mother's side) and George was his brother and the father of Robert K Greenleaf who's credited with defining Servant Leadership principles.

That’s super cool!  And that’s an example of what I do in terms of writing up a patent.  The attorney probably wrote that. Some of the language has been modernized but that’s the idea.  That is really awesome.  

[BobSaccamanno]

15 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Unemployed

Hang in there.  You are a diligent person with high character.  You will be back before you know it.  

You know where you got me is how you talk about your kids, you’re a great dad, and I was very touched as to how you take care of your parents.  High character people always come out on top.  When you have high character, it translates to everything you do. 

[BobSaccamanno]

11 minutes ago, Drroogh said:

Bob, you ever work with individual inventors, I may need your services? Once looked into becoming a patent agent, when I surveyed the several thousands of pages of Government Legalize I needed to review and understand, I said no thanks. I understand your love of the work but I just couldn't get past that! 

Haha, it’s not that bad!  Really, it isn’t.  But when you first start out you don’t know what you’re doing.  I learned from senior attorneys who mentored me.  As for individual inventors, it’s pretty rare for me to handle except for a unique circumstance.  

[IU Scott]

3 minutes ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Hang in there.  You are a diligent person with high character.  You will be back before you know it.  

You know where you got me is how you talk about your kids, you’re a great dad, and I was very touched as to how you take care of your parents.  High character people always come out on top.  When you have high character, it translates to everything you do. 

Thank you so much and it means a lot for you to say that.  I am hoping to hear about my unemployment claim soon because I will need the money shortly.

[Drroogh]

1 minute ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Haha, it’s not that bad!  Really, it isn’t.  But when you first start out you don’t know what you’re doing.  I learned from senior attorneys who mentored me.  As for individual inventors, it’s pretty rare for me to handle except for a unique circumstance.  

One thing for sure, I am unique! Don't be surprised if I PM you one day!

[milehiiu]

Just now, IU Scott said:

Thank you so much and it means a lot for you to say that.  I am hoping to hear about my unemployment claim soon because I will need the money shortly.

Prayers will be going out to you from the mile family, this Sunday.  Stay safe. Stay strong.

[milehiiu]

1 minute ago, Drroogh said:

One thing for sure, I am unique! Don't be surprised if I PM you one day!

PM's work. But phone calls are better.  Exchange phone numbers.  I spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with Colonial Crestor this week.  It was great. Much better than a PM.

[IUFLA]

4 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Thank you so much and it means a lot for you to say that.  I am hoping to hear about my unemployment claim soon because I will need the money shortly.

I hope it works out for you Scott. Got resumes out?

[Drroogh]

Just now, milehiiu said:

PM's work. But phone calls are better.  Exchange phone numbers.  I spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with Colonial Crestor this week.  It was great. Much better than a PM.

Yeah, but before that I need to do a whole lot of CAD work and fire up my 3D printer. Then maybe I'll be PMing to exchange phone numbers and email. 🙂

[Drroogh]

Scott, don't know your specific situation but our company seems to be rotating furloughs. I know several people myself included, if it goes beyond the 7/1 end of Covid payments we'll also be looking for jobs! Whish you the best my friend!

[Drroogh]

19 minutes ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Haha, it’s not that bad!  Really, it isn’t.  But when you first start out you don’t know what you’re doing.  I learned from senior attorneys who mentored me.  As for individual inventors, it’s pretty rare for me to handle except for a unique circumstance.  

OMG Bob, your comment about mentoring took me back to my tooling mentor. An old German Tool Maker that apparently was a rather troublesome preteen during WW2 in Germany! Told me the story of him and his buddy after another one of their mischievous actions was being chased by the Nazis and their dogs. As they ran through a farm, the old lady their stopped them and told them that if they Crap on the trail, it will kill the dogs sent and they won't be able to follow anymore. He said it worked!

Talk about a thread derailment! 

[Hoosierhoopster]

53 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Unemployed

Hopefully not for long, this stupid virus has thrown everyone off track, good luck to Landing your next gig soon 

[BobSaccamanno]

5 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Pornstar aside I’m a litigation and banking partner with a Houston law firm. I primarily represent banks and credit unions in litigation, but also draft / revise their deposit agreements, treasury management services agreements and related documents, and represent other companies in general business and commercial litigation 

You never know, we get inquiries within the firm, “do you know a corporate attorney in Texas?  I have a contact who needs ____.”  You’re on my radar just in case!

[Parakeet Jones]

Teacher. Currently taking classes to get an administrator license. 

[Seeking6]

It's weird. Just my two cents on this thread. I like talking with IU folks and not caring a thing about who they are, what they are....or where they are from. To me a thread about careers is opposite of everything I like about this board. I enjoy opinions from all. Could care less what someone does for a living. Just my two cents.

[mrflynn03]

Just know this, whatever you do.

What you do matters.

[Stlboiler23]

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

Unemployed

Hope you find something soon!

[Hoosierhoopster]

2 hours ago, BobSaccamanno said:

You never know, we get inquiries within the firm, “do you know a corporate attorney in Texas?  I have a contact who needs ____.”  You’re on my radar just in case!

Where are you based Bob? Patent law is its own world and we do need patent attorneys and refer to them every now and then —

[5fouls]

5 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Where are you based Bob? Patent law is its own world and we do need patent attorneys and refer to them every now and then —

Bob's Biography.  From Jersey according to the video in the link

https://seinfeld.fandom.com/wiki/Bob_Sacamano

[BobSaccamanno]

1 hour ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Where are you based Bob? Patent law is its own world and we do need patent attorneys and refer to them every now and then —

Chicago. 

[BEKA]

I do content development for corporate learning and development orgs. We work primarily with Fortune 500 companies who have their own internal learning and dev departments. I love the job because it involves a little bit of everything that I'm good at - writing, problem solving, basic design, client-engagement, etc. I could stand a few more $ in my paychecks, but the flexibility and variety of work are definite perks. 

[Colonialcrester]

 I didn't do this before when people asked so I will finally put this up now that Mugabe has been arrested.  Please do not sell this to any paparazzi. 🙂 Went to IU and promptly flunked out.  I left Bloomington and being the contrarian that I am, I did not GO WEST as suggested by John Babsone Lane Soule, I went east.  New York, UK, Europe and with a short time in Africa.  Originally I made my way southwest with some punkers fleeing the post punk London scene and made it thru France and Spain to Rabat, Morocco. I settled there for a while while I decided what to do...with South Africa in turmoil I did what most men of my age did and left the hash dens of Fez and flew to Johannesburg to be part of history.  I made my way into what was still Rhodesia and spent my time with Robert Mugabe's ZANU before the shit broke lose and the change over to Zimbabwe...I had many nights drinking Zambezi until 8am while singing Michael Jackson. I don't care where you go, they sing Michael Jackson! When Mugabe took over it was time for the caucasians to get out of town even the ones that helped so I was smuggled into Mozambique with a British family of 9 under a tarp in the back of an old farm truck.  Fortunately nothing happened to us but a few nights later several people were taken away on the road we were on and not seen again.

Mozambique!  A jewel!  If I loved the sunsets of Morocco then I loved the sunrise in Mozambique even more...but the stark nature of the communists forced me to go underground to keep a low profile and inhibited my chances to get a good job. It is there I learned Portugese, met my first CIA agent and gained my love of the ocean.  After 6 months it was time to move on and having done some favors for the CIA I was flush with enough money to continue traveling up thru Tanzania and Kenya.  I did not go into Madagascar but did spend some time in Stone Town on Zanzibar.  Somalia was still a viable country...big enough to threaten Kenya militarily and was doing so during that time. A friend of the family ( he had the Cummins distributorship for Africa) let me stay at his place and I had spent time in the bush with his sons and members of the Masai tribe until it was time to head back to Europe.

After some time in Europe which I can write some other time I spent some time on the continent and then made my way back to London and met the second girl of my dreams who brought me back to Bloomington where I finished my degree.

i am in medical sales.

[Steubenhoosier]

46 minutes ago, Colonialcrester said:

 I didn't do this before when people asked so I will finally put this up now that Mugabe has been arrested.  Please do not sell this to any paparazzi. 🙂 Went to IU and promptly flunked out.  I left Bloomington and being the contrarian that I am, I did not GO WEST as suggested by John Babsone Lane Soule, I went east.  New York, UK, Europe and with a short time in Africa.  Originally I made my way southwest with some punkers fleeing the post punk London scene and made it thru France and Spain to Rabat, Morocco. I settled there for a while while I decided what to do...with South Africa in turmoil I did what most men of my age did and left the hash dens of Fez and flew to Johannesburg to be part of history.  I made my way into what was still Rhodesia and spent my time with Robert Mugabe's ZANU before the shit broke lose and the change over to Zimbabwe...I had many nights drinking Zambezi until 8am while singing Michael Jackson. I don't care where you go, they sing Michael Jackson! When Mugabe took over it was time for the caucasians to get out of town even the ones that helped so I was smuggled into Mozambique with a British family of 9 under a tarp in the back of an old farm truck.  Fortunately nothing happened to us but a few nights later several people were taken away on the road we were on and not seen again.

Mozambique!  A jewel!  If I loved the sunsets of Morocco then I loved the sunrise in Mozambique even more...but the stark nature of the communists forced me to go underground to keep a low profile and inhibited my chances to get a good job. It is there I learned Portugese, met my first CIA agent and gained my love of the ocean.  After 6 months it was time to move on and having done some favors for the CIA I was flush with enough money to continue traveling up thru Tanzania and Kenya.  I did not go into Madagascar but did spend some time in Stone Town on Zanzibar.  Somalia was still a viable country...big enough to threaten Kenya militarily and was doing so during that time. A friend of the family ( he had the Cummins distributorship for Africa) let me stay at his place and I had spent time in the bush with his sons and members of the Masai tribe until it was time to head back to Europe.

After some time in Europe which I can write some other time I spent some time on the continent and then made my way back to London and met the second girl of my dreams who brought me back to Bloomington where I finished my degree.

i am in medical sales.

Your real name is Hunter Thompson, right?😀

[BobSaccamanno]

1 hour ago, Colonialcrester said:

 I didn't do this before when people asked so I will finally put this up now that Mugabe has been arrested.  Please do not sell this to any paparazzi. 🙂 Went to IU and promptly flunked out.  I left Bloomington and being the contrarian that I am, I did not GO WEST as suggested by John Babsone Lane Soule, I went east.  New York, UK, Europe and with a short time in Africa.  Originally I made my way southwest with some punkers fleeing the post punk London scene and made it thru France and Spain to Rabat, Morocco. I settled there for a while while I decided what to do...with South Africa in turmoil I did what most men of my age did and left the hash dens of Fez and flew to Johannesburg to be part of history.  I made my way into what was still Rhodesia and spent my time with Robert Mugabe's ZANU before the shit broke lose and the change over to Zimbabwe...I had many nights drinking Zambezi until 8am while singing Michael Jackson. I don't care where you go, they sing Michael Jackson! When Mugabe took over it was time for the caucasians to get out of town even the ones that helped so I was smuggled into Mozambique with a British family of 9 under a tarp in the back of an old farm truck.  Fortunately nothing happened to us but a few nights later several people were taken away on the road we were on and not seen again.

Mozambique!  A jewel!  If I loved the sunsets of Morocco then I loved the sunrise in Mozambique even more...but the stark nature of the communists forced me to go underground to keep a low profile and inhibited my chances to get a good job. It is there I learned Portugese, met my first CIA agent and gained my love of the ocean.  After 6 months it was time to move on and having done some favors for the CIA I was flush with enough money to continue traveling up thru Tanzania and Kenya.  I did not go into Madagascar but did spend some time in Stone Town on Zanzibar.  Somalia was still a viable country...big enough to threaten Kenya militarily and was doing so during that time. A friend of the family ( he had the Cummins distributorship for Africa) let me stay at his place and I had spent time in the bush with his sons and members of the Masai tribe until it was time to head back to Europe.

After some time in Europe which I can write some other time I spent some time on the continent and then made my way back to London and met the second girl of my dreams who brought me back to Bloomington where I finished my degree.

i am in medical sales.

So kind of the boring, standard story.