Overview

Daniel J. Holmander is a registered U.S. patent attorney and Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C., where he founded and leads the firm’s patent practice. With over 20 years of experience, Dan serves as trusted IP counsel to publicly traded companies, high-growth startups, research hospitals, and university tech transfer offices across the United States. His work spans core innovation sectors—medical devices, advanced materials, software/AI, cleantech, and consumer products.

Dan is recognized by IP Stars (Patent Star 2025), Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, and holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Known for his technical fluency and business-aligned approach, he helps clients secure, commercialize, and enforce their IP portfolios. His expertise covers patent prosecution (U.S. and international), trademark protection, PTAB proceedings, FTO analysis, licensing, commercialization strategy, and IP litigation.

Technical Scope and Industry Focus

Dan’s IP counsel spans a wide range of technologies:

  • Medical technologies: neural implants, infusion catheters, robotic pharmacy systems, spinal devices, diagnostic imaging tools, dental aligners, medication adherence systems
  • Advanced materials: hydrogel coatings, polymer-metal laminates, nanocomposites, smart packaging films, shape-memory alloys
  • Digital health and AI: clinical workflow platforms, medical software, remote monitoring systems, data analytics tools
  • Consumer products: dispensing closures, child safety devices, golf equipment, packaging hardware
  • Cleantech and energy: battery diagnostic systems, fuel cell catalysts, waste-to-energy materials

Dan routinely negotiates licensing deals, NDAs, SaaS and research agreements, and helps tech-focused organizations build deal-ready IP for funding, joint ventures, or acquisition. He also works closely with university tech transfer offices on startup formation, sponsored research, and invention licensing.

He teaches “The Importance of IP in Biotechnology” as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University and mentors early-stage innovators through RI’s SBDC Legal Clinic, SCORE, and Social Enterprise Greenhouse. Dan is also a committed autism advocate, supporting the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and The Autism Project of Rhode Island, inspired by his son Luke.

Experience

  • Anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property enforcement especially for foreign imports into the United States and globally, especially in the As Seen on TV industry.
  • Represented entity in patent troll litigation and resolved dispute on favorable terms.
  • Litigated over 100 matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board with successful results.
  • Drafted, prosecuted, and filed well over 500 patent and trademark applications.
  • Won multiple Uniform Domain Name Resolution proceedings before the National Arbitration Forum.
  • Represented leading university in developing substantial patent portfolio in nanotechnology.
  • Handle a substantial intellectual property portfolio in the DRTV (direct response television) industry.
  • Represented biomedical coating company in successful appeal before National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Representative Matters (Sample U.S. Patents)

A representative sample of patents prosecuted under Dan’s leadership includes:

  • Patent No.: US 9,834,490 B1
    Title: Systems and methods for recognizing referring expressions in natural language
    Summary: Describes a system that enables robots to interpret and act on natural language expressions by grounding them in their physical environment.
  • Patent No.: US 9,993,392 B2
    Title: Systems and methods for analyzing properties of a biological fluid
    Summary: Provides techniques using light and ultrasound to analyze characteristics of biological fluids like blood.
  • Patent No.: US 10,352,933 B2
    Title: Robots capable of learning from demonstration and instruction
    Summary: Outlines systems where robots learn new behaviors from both physical demonstrations and verbal instructions.
  • Patent No.: US 10,358,376 B2
    Title: Interactive robot learning from natural language
    Summary: Describes robots that iteratively refine tasks based on natural language and feedback during operation.
  • Patent No.: US 10,766,145 B2
    Title: Eye-in-hand robot
    Summary: Describes a robotic manipulator equipped with vision in the gripper for better object detection and task execution.
  • Patent No.: US 10,833,374 B2
    Title: In-situ X-ray scatter imaging of battery electrodes
    Summary: Real-time method for imaging battery electrodes using X-ray scatter to monitor structural changes.
  • Patent No.: US 11,016,081 B2
    Title: Aggregation rate analysis of red blood cells
    Summary: A system using ultrasonic forces and optics to measure red blood cell aggregation rates.
  • Patent No.: US 11,086,938 B2
    Title: Interpreting human-robot instructions
    Summary: A robotic planner that maps natural language input to hierarchical task steps.
  • Patent No.: US 11,093,865 B2
    Title: Methods of chemical computation
    Summary: Encodes and processes digital information using synthetic metabolomes and chemical reactions.
  • Patent No.: US 11,268,451 B2
    Title: Funnel-guided microtissue stacking and manipulation
    Summary: A method for assembling and positioning microtissue structures using funnel-shaped guides.
  • Patent No.: US 11,467,058 B2
    Title: Membrane wing sensing and control system
    Summary: Describes flow sensing via changes in capacitance to control membrane-based aerial surfaces.
  • Patent No.: US 11,560,014 B2
    Title: Nanostructured surfaces
    Summary: Nanometer-scale surface structures that inhibit bacterial growth for biomedical applications.
  • Patent No.: US 12,060,557 B2
    Title: Glioma enhancer RNA targeting
    Summary: Identifies enhancer RNAs in glioma stem cells for use in diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Patent No.: US 12,142,404 B2
    Title: Hard-magnet L10-CoPt nanoparticles advance fuel cell catalysis
    Summary: Converts soft-magnet CoPt into hard-magnet structures to improve performance in fuel cell catalysis

Case Studies

Generic Drug for Treating Infantile Spasms

AP&S Guides a Startup Specialty Pharmaceutical Company in the Commercialization of a Novel Formulation of a Generic Drug for Treating Infantile Spasms

Credentials

  • Temple University (J.D. 2000)
  • University of Massachusetts – Amherst (B.B.A. 1994)

  • Rhode Island
  • Massachusetts
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

  • Recognized by Chambers USA America’s Leading Business Lawyers  in the area of Intellectual Property.
  • Recognized as one of Managing Intellectual Property Magazine’s IP Stars 2013 – 2023.
  • Professional Excellence in the Law, IP Rights, Rhode Island Monthly 2019 – 2025.
  • AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for attorneys.

 

RI Monthly

Radio

Publications

  • U.S. Patent Owners: How to Stop Patent Infringement at U.S. Border – RI Small Business Journal.
  • What is the Difference Between a Legal Name, Trade Name, and a Trademark? – RI Small Business Journal.
  • Identifying and Extracting Value from a Nanotech IP Portfolio – co-author.

Seminars

  • Protecting Your Business’ Intellectual Property, Department of State Business Services, April, 2021.
  • Providence Business News summit on “Growing and Protecting Your Brand” Feb. 25, 2016.
  • How To Self Police Your Intellectual Property Rights
  • Improving Client Happiness – RI Bar Association Annual Meeting – June 2015 (upcoming).
  • Using Trademarks and Copyrights to Defend Your Company – Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce.
  • Protecting Your Business Using Intellectual Property – CWE/SBA @HarborOne.
  • Simple Steps to Protect Your Invention – Founders League.
  • Protecting Inventions Using a Provisional Patent Application – Founders League.
  • The Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Law – Rhode Island Bar CLE.
  • How to Protect Social Media Using Intellectual Property Law – Prophet Share.
  • Maintaining Trade Secrets for Business Inventions – RI Small Business Development Center.
  • Protecting Your E-Commerce Website Using Intellectual Property – sponsored by RI Secretary of State.
  • Protecting Your Business with Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks – RI Small Business Development Center.
  • Intellectual Property Basics – Law Review CLE.

 

 

  • Member, Board of Directors, Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.
  • Member, Board of Advisors, MassChallenge.
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
  • Member, International Trade Commission (ITC), Committee of American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
  • Professional Affiliate Member (PAM), Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants.
  • Member, Boston Patent Law Association.
  • Member, American Chemistry Society (ACS).
  • Member, International Trademark Association.
  • Associate Professor of Biotechnology, Brown University.

  • The Groden Network.
  • Autism Society of America.

Pro Bono Work
Legal Advisor for CWE (Center for Women & Enterprise).
Legal Advisor for SCORE (Society of Retired Executives).