Sandra L. Etherton, Esq.

Sandra Etherton is a registered patent attorney and the principal of Etherton Law Group, LLC. Her primary practice includes the preparation of US and foreign patent and trademark applications, licenses, and infringement opinions. Her areas of technical expertise include medical devices, software development, diagnostic and manufacturing equipment, and business methods. The Business Journal recently recognized Sandra as "Best of the Bar in Intellectual Property." Ms. Etherton is also a consulting expert for patent litigation.

Ms. Etherton has a broad range of legal and business experience as in-house and outside counsel for high-technology companies. Early in her career Ms. Etherton worked for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks and is the former chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of Arizona. Ms. Etherton holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Colorado and a law degree from Arizona State University. Prior to law school, Ms. Etherton was an engineer in the semiconductor industry for Motorola and National Semiconductor. Ms. Etherton is the author of Let's Talk Patents, A Patent Law Primer for Busy Corporate Managers and Entrepreneurs, and is guest faculty for the ASU College of Business and Thunderbird School of International Management entrepreneurship courses. She is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship and intellectual property matters.

Benjamin D. Tietgen, Esq.

Benjamin Tietgen is a registered patent attorney whose primary practice focuses on the preparation of patent applications covering inventions in a variety of industrial and technological fields.

Mr. Tietgen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. While attending law school, Mr. Tietgen earned a Specialization Certificate in Intellectual Property and CALI awards for course performance in Community Property and Patent Preparation and Prosecution. Mr. Tietgen was also named a Pedrick Scholar and was elected President of the Intellectual Property Students Association. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Tietgen started his own software consulting firm, Tietgen Technology Services. Mr. Tietgen is newly admitted to the Patent Bar and is a member of the Arizona state bar.

AnnMarie Whitley , Esq.
Whitley Legal, P.C.

AnnMarie Whitley is a registered patent attorney whose primary practice includes the preparation of patent applications for mechanical, manufacturing, and medical device technologies.

Ms. Whitley holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. While attending law school, Ms. Whitley served as articles editor for Michigan Journal of International Law. She has also attended the internationally known Intellectual Property Summer Institute at Franklin Pierce Law Center. Prior to law school she worked for General Motors in its Current Product Engineering Group. After graduating from law school, Ms. Whitley practiced law in New York City and Silicon Valley with the patent boutique firms Fish & Neave and Arnold, White & Durkee. Ms. Whitley was admitted to the Patent Bar in 1996 and is also admitted to the New York, California, and Arizona bars.

Thomas W. Galvani, Esq.

Tom Galvani is an attorney whose primary practice focuses on patentability reports, patent law research and trademarks.

Mr. Galvani holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Harvey Mudd College and a law degree from the University of Arizona. During law school, he was an Articles Editor for the Arizona Law Review. He clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals for two years following graduation. Before law school, Mr. Galvani worked on engineering projects for Northrop Grumman and the FAA and also programmed software for N2H2, Inc., an Internet start-up in Seattle. He is a member of the Arizona bar and will sit for the Patent Bar soon.