Notable Successes

Paul A. Bondor

Desmarais LLP partner Paul Bondor spoke with Managing IP for its “Five minutes with ...” Q&A series, discussing his path as a patent litigation attorney, where he finds career inspiration, and what it takes to achieve success at trial and beyond.
 
Bondor began his career clerking for U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton in the Southern District of New York, then took on his first private practice role at an intellectual property boutique, shifted to Big Law, and finally moved to build Desmarais LLP in 2011. Over the last 13 years, Bondor has helped Desmarais LLP grow to more than 85 attorneys across three offices.
 
“Throughout my career, I’m pleased to report that I have not always taken the conventional path,” he told Managing IP, adding, “When I look back, I think a big part of success involves understanding, assessing, and then taking risks. It’s never entirely comfortable, but if you trust your instincts, more often than not, things will work out in your favor.”
 
Now, with three decades of experience as a patent trial lawyer, Bondor said he draws inspiration from his family and the next-generation attorneys at Desmarais LLP, working alongside them as they prepare a case for trial.
 
“I’m motivated by my colleagues, particularly the up-and-coming attorneys at our firm. Litigation is a team sport, and there’s nothing like the way a well-functioning, fully invested team can bring out greatness in each member,” he said.
 
Successful intellectual property attorneys must possess strong communication skills, enjoy interacting with people, absorb information quickly and parse out the most critical details, and carry a “serious dose of competitiveness,” Bondor said. They should also bear in mind that winning patent cases is not purely driven by who has the best technical argument, he said.
 
“True, you have to understand the technology deeply, and you have to be correct with your arguments, but that’s not enough to win,” he said. “What puts you over the top is weaving those technical details into a compelling emotional story, so it’s not just that you’re right on the technical issues, but that you deserve to win.”
 
Read the Managing IP story
 

Paul A. Bondor