About Robert L
Robert L Wagner combines a scientific background with decades of courtroom and clerkship experience. He began his academic path in physics, earning a B.S. from Harvey Mudd College in 1988 and a Ph.D. in applied physics from the University of Michigan in 1992. He returned to school for law and received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1998.
After law school Wagner clerked for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in 2001. That early exposure to federal practice shaped his approach to litigation and case management. He joined Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP as an associate in 2003, moving into private practice where he handled complex civil and intellectual property matters.
Wagner served as counsel at Picadio Sneath Miller & Norton, P.C. beginning in 2010. In 2017 he took on a counsel role at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, where he continues to work. Across these roles he has frequently been involved in technology-related disputes and federal court litigation, bringing both technical training and legal expertise to disputes that turn on scientific detail.
His admissions reflect a broad federal and appellate practice. Wagner is admitted in Illinois and Pennsylvania and is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is authorized to appear in several district courts, including the Northern District of Ohio, the Western District of Pennsylvania, and multiple districts in Illinois, and he holds admission in the Sixth and Seventh Circuits as well as the Federal Circuit.
Peers and clients see the influence of his physics training in the way he approaches complex patents and technical testimony. He has worked on patent cases that require careful parsing of scientific papers and the drafting of claim constructions. His litigation work has included briefing and oral argument at trial and at the appellate level.
Wagner maintains memberships in professional organizations in Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area, including the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association, and DRI. He handles matters that require federal court experience and USPTO practice.
He currently practices at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, where his work centers on litigation and intellectual property disputes in federal courts and before the Patent Office.
