About Jake
Jake Handy is an attorney who blends scientific training with legal practice in intellectual property. He is licensed in California and admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. His background in the life sciences informs the technical side of his legal work and guides the advice he gives to clients on patent matters.
Handy began his academic career at the University of California, San Diego, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and a Master of Science in Biology. He then turned to law and earned his J.D. from California Western School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. That combination of graduate-level science and law school performance positioned him to work on patent issues that require both technical depth and legal precision.
He has practiced at Fenwick & West LLP, where he worked on patent matters for clients in the technology and life sciences sectors. His work has included preparing and prosecuting patent applications, conducting patentability and freedom-to-operate analyses, and advising on patent portfolio strategy. He also prepares opinion letters and supports patent litigation teams by providing technical background and claim construction analysis when needed. Colleagues and clients have looked to him for clear explanations of complex biological concepts, and for practical approaches to protecting innovations.
Handy’s technical training makes him comfortable handling inventions in molecular biology, biotechnology, and related areas of life sciences research. He spends time drafting claims, coordinating filings across jurisdictions, and counseling research-focused companies on how best to align intellectual property strategy with business goals. He continues to practice in California and before the USPTO and works with both emerging companies and established organizations on patent prosecution and counseling matters. His current practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling for companies in the life sciences sector.
