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Patent pending: Working with inventors keeps Sara engaged

Patent pending: Working with inventors keeps Sara engaged

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Charles Sara (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)
Charles Sara (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

After more than 30 years of practicing patent law, Charles Sara still enjoys getting up every day and heading into the office.

“Not only do I work with a lot of fun and intelligent people, but I’m working with clients who are always coming up with new ideas,” said Sara, an attorney with DeWitt Ross & Stevens in Madison. “They are full of energy and very intelligent and I just feed off of that.”

Sara didn’t follow the typical path to becoming an attorney. He first taught English in high school and then studied dairy sciences in a master’s program at Virginia Tech before deciding to go to law school. Once at the George Mason University School of Law, he stumbled into patent law after fielding a call while answering phones for the law school fraternity from an attorney looking for a law clerk with a technical or science background.

“I realized I fit that description and it was my first introduction into patent law,” Sara said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Working with inventors and researchers invigorates Sara.

“I’m working with people who are excited about an idea or product and that gets me excited,” he said. “It also opens up a brand new area of technology for me that I need to learn about so I can write about it” for the patent filing.

Sara’s clients fall into two categories — inventors looking to make money from their new product, and university or corporate researchers wanting to protect their idea.

“A lot of my job is making sure the clients understand what they need to do. If it’s a new product or idea, I want them to understand the commercialization that will need to be done,” he said. “The act of getting a patent is one thing, but marketing is a completely different matter. There’s nothing worse than going through the effort of getting a patent and realizing you have an idea that the public doesn’t want.”

Researchers from companies and the University of Wisconsin don’t have to worry about that part since they have supports in place to bring the idea to market, Sara added.

While he didn’t study dairy sciences with the intent of using that knowledge in his legal career, Sara said that background does come in handy now that he’s practicing law in the Dairy State. He’s worked with cheese companies on trademark issues and a few patents and has done work with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and UW.

“I definitely find ways to use that ag expertise,” Sara said. “The main thing is that I really love what I do. It’s a perfect fit for me.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?
Charles Sara: I like the idea of helping people who have developed something new. Most of my clients work hard to come up with a great idea for something that might have commercial potential. They come to me with an enthusiasm to get their invention protected and marketed. I get caught up in that enthusiasm. I also get to learn something new. In many cases, I have to become an “instant expert” in a different field so that I can help them protect the invention. Because I see new inventions nearly every day, I rarely get bored with my job. That is important to me.

WLJ: Who is your hero in the legal field?
Sara: I have a few clients who have stayed with me since I started my patent law career in the early 1980s. I greatly appreciate that. They are heroes to me.

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?
Sara: I enjoy doing things with my family. Right now, my wife and I are empty-nested. We find a lot to do around Madison and we travel when we can. We get together with our daughters (in Muscatine, Iowa, and San Francisco) and their families as often as we can, usually by phone and FaceTime. It also gives us a good chance to interact with our two grandsons. Beyond that, I’m an active amateur photographer and I took up the banjo a couple years ago. I doubt I’ll ever be good enough at either to give up my day job, but I like both. I have a bicycle and a motorcycle to keep wind in my face. Finally, we have a great Australian cattle dog named Blue who is in constant need of attention and walks.

WLJ: What’s one thing many people get wrong about what you do?
Sara: Many people think I should be wealthy based on all of patents on which I have worked. Unfortunately, that won’t happen.

WLJ: What is your favorite law school memory?
Sara: Graduation. I started law school fairly late in my career. I was ready to start working for a salary rather than a grade.

WLJ: Is there a particular case that stands out in your career?
Sara: I am not a litigator so I do not have a particular case. However, I was recently involved in a major transaction involving the sale of some biotechnology intellectual property between parties located in India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and San Diego. That was a frustrating, but fun experience.

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