Billy C. Raulerson

Every client’s invention and new technology is important to Billy. He works closely with clients to identify the specific outcomes they seek, and he is driven to attain successful resolutions. Billy’s current practice is primarily in the electrical/mechanical space, and he has a strong background in software technology.

Billy has worked with many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies and has extensive experience managing large, global patent portfolios. He regularly represents multi-national, multi-division corporations with diverse, global patent portfolios and supervises client teams consisting of multiple dedicated IP attorneys, paralegals and support staff. He provides significant value supplementing clients’ IP departments, working side-by-side with busy in-house legal and technical staff and corporate leaders.

A significant portion of Billy’s time is dedicated to helping clients explore the often-competing benefits obtained through patent protection and trade secret protection. He is involved with innovation harvesting, meeting with inventors to understand the potential for protecting their inventions.

A registered patent attorney since 2002, Billy has significant experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications relating to computer software and the electrical, mechanical, and chemical arts, as well as trademark applications spanning a wide range of goods and services. He has a remarkable success rate in appealing adverse examiner decisions to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Billy provides opinions on patentability, clearance/freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, and invalidity. He has been involved in several patent disputes, including complex multi-patent, multi-venue litigation.

Billy works closely with his corporate, estate planning, and other colleagues and applies his extensive knowledge of intellectual property law to advise his clients across an evolving range of topics, such as artificial intelligence (AI); non-practicing entities (NPEs); and data privacy.

Since 2022, Chambers USA has ranked Billy as a Leading Lawyer in Intellectual Property, most recently (2024) in Band 3 in Ohio. Chambers researchers noted, "Billy Raulerson offers counsel to clients on a range of patent disputes, regularly assisting with the preparation and prosecution of large portfolios." Clients interviewed by Chambers USA stated, "Billy has a very pragmatic and no-nonsense approach to things and is consistent in his conversations. He knows our business inside out and does an excellent job at pairing us with the right expert."

Billy has authored several articles on intellectual property legal topics, and he has delivered numerous presentations to various companies and organizations.

A member of the Ohio, D.C., and Columbus Bar Associations, Billy is also associated with the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and the International Trademark Association (INTA).

Billy was employed with Sughrue Mion, PLLC prior to joining Calfee in 2005. He was elected Partner in 2011. He began serving as Vice Chair of the Intellectual Property practice group in 2020 and was appointed Co-Chair of the IP group in 2023.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Intellectual Property, Band 3, Ohio (2022-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Patent Law (2024-2025)

Education

J.D., cum laude, University of Dayton School of Law, 2001

BSCS and BSCIS, summa cum laude, University of South Florida, 1998

Experience

• Handle patent prosecution and IP strategy, management and strategy of patent and trademark portfolios, and advice on IP strategy and litigation for a publicly traded, Fortune 1000 multinational and global manufacturer. (2024)
• Work with a small team of in-house patent/IP counsel and manage a larger team of external Calfee attorneys to draft and prosecute a publicly traded, Fortune 500 company client's patent applications and provide legal opinions and consultation on patent portfolio growth. Together, Calfee and the client’s in-house IP counsel handle the implementation of the client’s IP protection objectives for the company’s four divisions. This work includes interfacing with Research & Development and business leaders concentrated in Europe, including Great Britain, France, and Finland. Calfee oversees the drafting and prosecution of hundreds of patent applications throughout the world on behalf of this client, as well as counseling the client on critical IP-related issues such as freedom-to-practice, trade secret strategies, and innovation harvesting. (2024)
• Manage the patent portfolio encompassing dozens of granted patents and pending applications, including jointly developed technology, for this client, a global innovator and manufacturer of temperature sensors, controls, and measurement instrumentation and transport systems. Specifically, Calfee drafts and prosecutes the company’s patent applications and recently assisted the client in filing several patent applications on its new commercial system in the U.S. and Taiwan, while also reserving the right to file future patent applications in other countries by taking advantage of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Calfee regularly meets with the client to discuss patent and trade secret strategy with respect to new innovations across the company’s earth-based and space-based applications. (2024)
• Serve as the preferred IP counsel for non-catalyst innovations, including implementing protection strategies encompassing patent filings worldwide for our client, a global leader in technology licensing in the clean energy and petrochemicals industry. Calfee provides general IP-related counseling for the client, specifically providing patent preparation and prosecution, global portfolio maintenance, and IP counseling. (2024)
• Draft and file patent applications relating to various technologies, including lithium ion battery technology and lithium extraction for a top research university in the U.S. (2024)

Professional & Community

• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Member
• Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association (CIPLA), Member
• Ohio State Bar Association, Member
• D.C. Bar Association, Member
• Columbus Bar Association, Member

• 2021 Virtual Patent Pro Bono Day Program, Volunteer Patent Counsel – Provided patent counsel to Ohio inventors in pro bono program hosted by the Cleveland Corporate IP Counsel and Ohio Invents

Presentations

• "What in the (COVID) World Are Apple and Google Up To? Data Privacy in Times of Public Crisis," Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, Webinar (July 8, 2020)
• "How to Do a Patent Search," Inventors Network, Columbus State Community College, Westerville, Ohio (March 7, 2017)
• "Trade Secrets and the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016," Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, Columbus, Ohio (October 13, 2016)