
Contact
dsorocco@dunlapcodding.com PH: 405-607-8600 OKLAHOMA CITY 609 W. Sheridan AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73102
Douglas J. Sorocco
“I help creators, makers, artists, and innovators protect and defend their art, inventions, and ideas, allowing them the opportunity to profit from their creativity and power our economy, communities, and future.”
Douglas J. Sorocco’s practice covers all areas of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, copyright, technology, and e-commerce. He advises and represents clients on intellectual property matters involving asset enforcement through litigation and licensing, technology counseling, and complex transactions involving domestic and international IP assets. Doug litigates on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants from multiple industries in jurisdictions around the country in cases involving patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, trade secrets, unfair competition, and legal malpractice. The highly regarded Chambers USA ranks him in Band 1 (the top band) for intellectual property law.
Doug is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He particularly enjoys collaborating with clients on acquiring and/or commercializing intellectual property assets and conducting strategic portfolio management; advising on licensing and transactional matters, and representing them in enforcing their intellectual property rights.
His scientific background includes all areas of biotechnology and life sciences, medical devices and equipment, and chemistry and chemical engineering. Before attending law school, Doug was an MIS/IT consultant with Ernst & Young (now EY) in Indianapolis and leverages the knowledge and insight gained in this role in his work with start-up and legacy companies in the computer software and Internet-enabled technology industries.
Doug has considerable experience providing strategic and tactical intellectual property counsel to individual clients, universities, large pharmaceutical, chemical, and manufacturing companies, and start-ups across various technologies.
He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Oklahoma City University School of Law. He has served similarly within the Physiology Department of the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center.
Doug is honored to have been previously named one of the 15 Minority Rainmakers of the Year by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. He has also received the George Lewis Advocacy Award from the Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns.
He is also humbled and appreciative of his selection as Time Magazine’s 2006 Person of the Year.
- Defeated institution of patent invalidation challenges at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for a client’s patented internet-enabled invention.
- Secured a pleading-stage invalidation under Section 101 (statutory subject matter) of a frivolously issued patent in the United States District Court in East Texas, a notorious plaintiff-friendly venue.
- Serving as lead plaintiff’s counsel in a Walker Process antitrust and unfair competition lawsuit in the Eastern District of California.
- Serving as co-counsel for a plaintiff’s infringement action in the Western District of Texas against an international computer gaming company.
- Obtained a favorable settlement in a copyright infringement case involving the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) action to go to trial in the Western District of Oklahoma.
- Negotiated an international licensing agreement for a global client’s blockchain and crypto finance software to a Fortune 100 banking entity—one of the five largest U.S. financial services conglomerates.
- Analyzed and developed noninfringement and invalidity positions over 50 patents in the medical device industry, maintaining clearance for the client’s medical product.
Selected Patents
- 11,484,345 – Skin Morphing and Tension Distributing System
- 11,457,953 – External Fixation Alignment Gauge
- 11,253,301 – Apparatus and Method for Syndesmosis Fixation
- 11,266,452 – Orthopedic Cable Retention Device
- 11,199,498 – Portable Spectrometer
- 11,117,880 – Facile and Selective Perfluoro- and Polyfluoroarylation
- 11,103,263 – Embolectomy System
- 10,987,661 – Alloyed Zeolite Catalyst Component
- 10,722,695 – Dilation System and Method
- 10,687,781 – Hemodynamic Monitoring Device
- 10,670,614 – Hemolysis Detection Device, System and Method
- 9,110,080 – Epitope Testing Using Soluble HLA
- 9,090,881 – Method for Continuous Growth of Phytoplankton
- 9,072,901 – Cardiac Neuromodulation & Methods of Using Same
- 9,040,761 – Co-Processing of Biomass & Synthetic Polymer Materials in a Pyrolysis Process
- 8,980,354 – Frozen Confectionery Product & Method of Manufacture
- 8,980,608 – High Molecular Weight Heparosan Polymers
- 8,945,228 – Endplate for a Vertebral Implant
- 8,971,624 – System & Process for Color-Balancing a Series of Oblique Images
- D724,757 – Exterior Building Design
- D880,161 – Modular Organizational System
- D888,947 – External Fixation Alignment Gauge
- D893,670 – Fishing Lure
- D908,911 – Analyzing Instrument and Display Monitor In Combination
- D934,446 – Reagent Cartridge
- D962,434 – External Fixation Alignment Gauge
- PP31,695 – Bermudagrass Plant Named ‘OKC 1131’
- Oklahoma State Bar
- Illinois State Bar
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 1996
- Northwestern University School of Law, Visiting Student 1995-96
- Butler University, B.S., 1993, Chemistry
The Best Lawyers in America 2023® named him the Oklahoma City Lawyer of the Year for Technology Law, a recognition he also received in 2021. The publication has also recognized him for six areas: Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, Technology Law, and Trademark Law. Managing Intellectual Property ranks Doug as an IP Star, and he is perennially listed as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer. In 2016, he was one of only 30 Intellectual Property lawyers in the country to be chosen as a BTI Client Service All-Star.
Doug is honored to have been named one of the 15 Minority Rainmakers of the Year in 2014 by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. In 2016, he received the George Lewis Advocacy Award from the Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns. In 2018, the Plaza District Association honored him as the 2018 Urban Pioneer Award recipient. The award is given annually to individuals in the Oklahoma City community who “exemplify Oklahoma’s pioneering spirit with their leadership and commitment to urban revitalization.”
- “Fish Are Friends, Not Food. What About Sharks, Can They Be A Trademark?” Guest blog post, Thomson Reuters’ Legal Current, April 29, 2015
- “Who Owns It? Copyright Ownership for the Collaborative Age,” Paradigm, Fall 2012
- “Trademark Appeals Board Opinion Has People Asking What the F**K?” Corporate Counsel, October 13, 2015, by Lisa Schuchman
- “Who Controls the Internet?” October 5, 2015, Thomson Reuters Legal Current podcast
- “Dispute Over Posting of Hemp Test Results Leads to $100 Million Lawsuit By MJNA,” May 18, 2015, MainStreet, by Juliette Fairley
- Is It Trademark Bullying or Savvy Brand Protection? February 20, 2015, Corporate Counsel, by Lisa Shuchman
- Marijuana Patent Applications Face Tough Road at USPTO, December 15, 2014, Law360, by Ryan Davis
- 8 Tips on Managing Client Expectations, November 19, 2014, Law360, by Kaitlyn Kiernan
- Douglas Sorocco, Enterprising Lawyer, October 28, 2014, Daily Dispatch
- Is Altering Patent Construction Review “Worth the Candle?” Stakeholders Weigh In, October 20, 2014, Bloomberg BNA
- High Court Appears Split On Claim Construction Deference, October 15, 2014, Law360, by Ryan Davis
- April 2023 (forthcoming)—Intellectual Property in Non-Fungible Tokens for Artists, Oklahoma City University.
- March 2023—Intellectual Property: Foundations in Translation Research, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- March 2023—Healthcare Securities and Intellectual Property in Health Care Reimbursement Pools, Oklahoma City, OK.
- February 2023—Public Art: Intellectual Property and Real Estate Contracting Provisions, Oklahoma City, OK.
- January 2023—American Rescue Plan Funding Contracting for the Arts, Oklahoma City, OK.
- November 2022—Copyright Law for Educators, Moore Norman Technology Center.
- October 2022—Funding for Intellectual Property Litigation, Oklahoma Business Roundtable.
- September 2022—Intellectual Property Issues for Artists and Creatives, American Society of Arts & Crafts.
- July 2022—Law Firm Succession Planning, American Lawyer Media Webinar.
- July 2022—Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Initiatives Impact on Intellectual Property, Tulsa Innovation Lab.
- May 2022—Intellectual Property in the Commercialization of Translational Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- April 2022—Intellectual Property for Start-Ups, gBETA Oklahoma City.
- March 2022—Intellectual Property and Its Impact on Start-Up Valuation, OKC TECH++, Oklahoma City.
- January 2022—Advances in US Intellectual Property Law, Vienna, Austria.
- January 2022—Advances in US Intellectual Property Law, Zurich, Switzerland.
- January 2022—Law Firms & Responses to Omicron Variant of Covid-19, American Legal Media Webinar.
- October 2021—Intellectual Property and the University Start-Up, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
- August 2021—Entrepreneurialism in the OKC Ecosystem, Oklahoma Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, Oklahoma City.
- August 2021—Intellectual Property for Start-Ups, OKC TECH++, Oklahoma City.
- August 2021—When an Artist Faces the Legal System, Business Committee for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, New York City.
- April, 2021—Financing of Legal Frameworks for Start-Ups, OKC TECH++, Oklahoma City.
- Spring 2021—Intellectual Property Law, Oklahoma City University School of Law.
- March 2021—OKC Science and Research Foundation Overview, Oklahoma City.
- February 2021—Public Art Law, Oklahoma Arts Council.
- January 2021—Artists as Entrepreneurs, Oklahoma City.
- October 2020—Using the Arts to Inspire Innovation, Americans for the Arts, New York City.
- October 2020, The Key Legal Knowledge Entrepreneurs Should Know, Minority Entrepreneurs Development Conference, Oklahoma City.
- July 2020—Intellectual Property Issues in the DIY Market, Oklahoma City.
- July 2020—Entrepreneurialism in the OKC Ecosystem, Oklahoma Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, Oklahoma City.
- April 2020—Beyond Ideas: Intellectual Property Issues Impacted by Covid-19, Chicago.
- March 2020—Creativity Beta: Entrepreneurs, Creatives, and Artists Conference, Oklahoma City.
- February 2020—Intellectual Property in the Commercialization of Translational Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- November 2019—Entrepreneurship for Science & Technology Doctorates, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City.
- November 2019—Increasing the Percentage of Women Serving on Public Boards, Oklahoma City.
- November 2019—Venture Advisory Services Across the Start-Up Lifespan, Oklahoma City.
- October 2019—Cybersecurity, Intellectual Property, and the Impact to Business, Oklahoma Manufacturing Summit, Northeastern State University, Panelist.
- October 2019—Cultivating Intellectual Property for Coders, Oklahoma City.
- Fall 2019—Art Law, Oklahoma City University School of Law.
- September 2019—Legal Issues in the Non-Profit World, Oklahoma Society of Association Executives, Oklahoma City.
- July 2019—Entrepreneurship: A Legal Framework, University of Montana.
- May 2019—Legal Issues in Restaurant Start-Ups to Avoid, Gene Rainbolt Graduate School of Business, Oklahoma City.
- April 2019—Intellectual Property in the Commercialization of Translational Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- April 2019—Intellectual Property Law for Artists, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Oklahoma City.
- March 2019—Legal Issues in Copyright and Trademark Realm for Non-Profit Executives, Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits, Oklahoma City.
- December 2018—Legal Issues in Placemaking Efforts, Oklahoma City Asian District.
- November 2018—Legal Marketing Tips & Tricks, Oklahoma City.
- Fall 2018—Oklahoma State Arts Conference Co-Chairman, Film Row District, Oklahoma City.
- October 2018—Legal Issues for Artists & Creatives, Oklahoma State Arts Conference, Film Row District, Oklahoma City.
- October 2018—Start-Up Legal Issues In Seed-Financing, Oklahoma Ecosystem Forum, Oklahoma City.
- September 2018—Entrepreneurship & Legal Entanglements: An American Perspective, Creativity World Forum, Antwerp, Belgium.
- September 2018—Creatives & The Legal World: What to Know, Creativity World Forum, Antwerp, Belgium.
- September 2018—Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs, Thunder Launchpad, Oklahoma City.
- August 2018—Legal Issues for Creatives, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Oklahoma City.
- August 2018—Podcast: Creativity & Community, Oklahoma City.
- August 2018—Creativity & Mentorship for the Mid-Level Diverse Arts Administrator, Americans for the Arts, New York City.
- June 2018—Community, Placemaking, & Development, Urban Pioneer Award Speech, Oklahoma City.
- May 2018—Entrepreneurship & Legal Issues; Oklahoma Entrepreneur Roundtable, Oklahoma City.
- April 2018—Oklahoma City Start-Up Showcase Presentation, Oklahoma City.
- March 2018—Intellectual Property in the Commercialization of Translational Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- Fall 2013—Intellectual Property for Start-Ups, Oklahoma City VentureSpur.
- May 2013—Community, Placemaking & Giving It Away for Free, OKC Mayor’s Economic Development Forum, Oklahoma City.
- January 2013—Perspectives on Us, European, & Swiss Intellectual Property Laws, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Summer 2010—U.S. Patent Office Rule 56: Duty of Disclosure, Implications, & Inequitable Conduct.
- January 2010—17th Annual Marketing Partner Forum, Evolving Partner Roles in Client Services, Business Development, and Sales.
- Spring 2009—Various locations—Effect of In re Bilski on Biotechnology and Diagnostic Patent Claiming.
- Summer 2008—Various locations—U.S. & Int’l Patent Prosecution Changes in 2008.
- April 2008—Dunes CLE—“Patent Drafting & Prosecution.
- February 2007—American Conference Institute’s Corporate Patent Congress 2007.
- August 2006—Dunes CLE— Current Issues in Patent Law.
Doug is the editor and an author of Dunlap Codding’s award winning and innovative intellectual property legal blog and resource center, PHOSITA, which was discussed in the book Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk With Customers, by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel (available at Amazon).
He coauthored IP Memes, an intellectual property newsletter, with J. Matthew Buchanan and Stephen Nipper of the law firm, Buchanan Nipper. Matt, Stephen and Doug also created and authored rethinkIPa blog focused on examining the intersection of intellectual property law and client service.
Doug served on the Board of Directors of the Spina Bifida Association of America for 12 years and was honored to lead the organization as its chairman from 2004-2007. He served on the international Board of Directors for the Brussels-based NGO International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus as well as locally on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma City. He was also the Oklahoma Chairman of the Licensing Executives Society.
Currently, Doug serves on the Boards of Directors for:
- Business Committee for the Arts (BCA Executive Board)
- Oklahoma City’s Film Row District
- Creative Oklahoma (Past Chairman; Current Volunteer Director of Oklahoma Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program)
- Canterbury Voices (Past Chairman)
- Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra (Chairman)
- Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (Chairman)
- Oklahoma City Girls Art School (Co-Founder and Chairman)
- Learn to Code (Past Chairman)
- Photography
- Woodworking
- Restoration and renovation of historical homes