Jeffrey R. Kuester

Jeffrey R. Kuester is a Founding Partner with the patent, copyright and trademark law firm of Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the author of the award-winning intellectual property law website, KuesterLaw - The Technology Law Resource. Prior to receiving his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, Jeff earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree, with honors, under the Computer Engineering and Cooperative Education programs from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Jeff financed his education through employment with IBM and Georgia Power Company. While an undergraduate, he was a member of Gamma Beta Phi honor society, Eta Kappa Nu electrical engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, and Phi Eta Sigma freshman honorary. After entering law school, Jeff passed the Patent Bar Exam and began working as a Registered Patent Agent. While in law school, Jeff was a winner on the Intrastate Moot Court Team, was a member of the National Moot Court Team, was listed in Who's Who Among American Law Students, and received an American Jurisprudence Award in Moot Court.

Today, besides teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Georgia State University College of Law, Jeff's primary areas of practice include patent preparation and prosecution in the fields of software, telecommunications, and electronics, as well as general patent, copyright & trademark law. In 2006, Jeff was voted one of the Top 5% of all attorneys in Georgia in the area of intellectual property, being selected as a Super Lawyer, and he was selected by his peers as one of the Legal Elite, as published by Georgia Trend magazine. In addition, he was rated by Chambers USA as one of America's Leading Business Lawyers, describing him as a "smart, responsive lawyer," "never flustered by hard work," who "proves an excellent team manager." Jeff has also been listed as one of Atlanta's Top Patent Attorneys by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and is assigned Martindale-Hubbell's highest "AV" ranking.

In addition to serving on the Board of Editors for American Lawyer Media's Patent Strategy & Management, Mr. Kuester is also actively involved with a variety of educational and professional organizations, including the Intellectual Property Owners Association, where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Corporate IP Management Committee; The American Intellectual Property Law Association; and the Intellectual Property Law Section of The American Bar Association where he was appointed as Chair of the Computer Hardware Technology Committee, the Patent Legislation Committee, the Special Committee on Patents and the Internet, Co-Chair of the Special Committee on Trademarks and the Internet, Co-Chair of the Patent and Trademark Office Affairs Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee.

As a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Jeff has served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section, which won the coveted "Section of the Year Award" from the State Bar during his term, and was past Webmaster and Editor of the Section's previous quarterly newsletter, A Novel Expression of Confusion. Jeff is also an active participant in the State Bar's Technology Law Section, which he also served as Chair during the year that section won the "Section of the Year Award," and he also previously served that section as Webmaster and Newsletter Editor. As a previous Communications Director for the 4,500-member Atlanta Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Jeff was the Webmaster and Editor of the organization's monthly newsletter, The Atlanta Circuit. He also served as the Electronic Communications Chair for the Business and Technology Association (B&TA), maintaining their website. Jeff is also a member of the Cobb County Bar Association and for five years was Editor of its monthly newsletter, The Cobb Bar News.

Jeff's wife, the former Pamela Jo Meeks of Atlanta, is an honor graduate of The Westminster Schools and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Spanish with concentrations in French and music from Georgia State University. Previously active in the Junior League of Atlanta and now in various genealogy groups, she spends her time in church activities, volunteering, and caring for their five children.