Erica Navar is a distinguished intellectual property attorney with over two decades of experience in patent law and a robust background in electrical and computer engineering. Before entering private practice, Erica served as a primary patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she examined and granted more than 250 patents spanning technologies such as wireless communications, digital data processing, payment architectures, radio navigation, location determination and energy efficiency. She further solidified her technical credentials at the USPTO by earning a Master’s Level Art Certification in wireless communications.

In her legal practice, Erica focuses on all aspects of patent prosecution and strategy, including utility and design patents, patentability and freedom-to-operate analyses, invalidity opinions and patent landscaping. She advises clients across industries such as telecommunications, IoT, medtech, fintech and consumer products, helping them develop and manage robust patent portfolios. Her intimate knowledge of USPTO protocols and ability to anticipate examiner rejections allow her to guide clients efficiently through complex patent processes. 

Erica’s technical experience is further rooted in her prior career as a telecommunications engineer at Nokia/Alcatel-Lucent, where she specialized in troubleshooting network systems involving both software and hardware. Her strong foundation in electrical and computer engineering enables her to provide strategic intellectual property counsel to clients working on cutting-edge technologies, including 3GPP standards, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), imaging systems, software innovations and business methods.

During her tenure at the USPTO, Erica also completed a prestigious detail with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) as a detailee to an Administrative Patent Judge. In this role, she reviewed appeals, prepared analyses and recommendations, conferred with Administrative Patent Judges and drafted decisions. This unique experience provides Erica with a comprehensive understanding of both prosecution and post-grant proceedings, which she leverages to deliver exceptional results for her clients.