Mr. Hulse's practice focuses on prosecuting patent applications in a wide range of technical fields, including electronics, computer software, telecommunications, audio/video media, electromechanical and medical devices, and financial products.

His practice also involves intellectual property counseling, including evaluating risks from third-party patents and assisting in efforts to design around those patents. Serving as an independent expert evaluator for a major patent pool, he has significant experience determining the essentiality of patented technology to a number of standards bodies’ specifications, including 802.11, WiMAX, H.264, and AGORA-C. Mr. Hulse has also analyzed intellectual property issues for numerous due diligence and litigation matters.

In addition to providing legal services for his clients, Mr. Hulse is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he teaches patent drafting and prosecution. He is also a member of the faculty at the Practicing Law Institute and has lectured on topics related to patent law at the University of Washington School of Law, Dalhousie University, and the National University of Singapore.

In 2012, Mr. Hulse was recognized as one of the Top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Managers in California by the Daily Journal. He is also listed as one of the World’s Leading 1000 Patent Practitioners in the IAM Patent 1000 for 2012 and a "Life Sciences Star" for his outstanding patent work in Euromoney's LMG Life Sciences 2012. This year, he was named to the Daily Journal’s annual Top 20 Under 40 list and Law360's Top Attorneys Under 40 list.

Published Articles:

• Robert Hulse, "Taking Advantage of the First Action Interview Pilot Program", San Francisco Daily Journal, September 9, 2010
• Robert Hulse, Puneet Sarna & Rajendra Panwar, "Section 102 and the MPEP", Prior Art & Obviousness 2009, Practising Law Institute, No. G-975, 2009
• Robert Hulse & Robert Sachs, "Making Sense of the Revived Machine-or-Transformation Test in In re Bilski", Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2, February 2009
• Robert Hulse, "In re Swanson: Ex Parte Reexamination in the Patent Office Provides Second Chance to Invalidate Patent", San Francisco Daily Journal, December 5, 2008
• Robert Hulse & Robert Sachs, "On Shaky Ground: The (Near) Future of Patents After Bilski," The Intellectual Property Strategist, Vol. 15, No. 3, December 2008
• Robert Hulse, "Building a Patent Portfolio in View of the New Patent Rules", The Intellectual Property Strategist, Vol. 14, No. 1, October 2007
• Robert Hulse, "New Patent Rules Looming: What Do They Mean for Your Portfolio?", San Francisco Daily Journal, July 11, 2007
• Rajiv Patel, Daniel Brownstone & Robert Hulse, "A Strategic Look at the Final Rejection", Advanced Patent Prosecution Workshop, Practising Law Institute, No. G0-10A8, 2003-2005
• Rajiv Patel, Daniel Brownstone & Robert Hulse, "Understanding After Final and After Allowance Patent Practice Fundamentals of Patent Prosecution", Practising Law Institute, No. G0-01EV, 2003-2005
• Robert Hulse, "Correct Inventorship Prevents Patent Application Headaches", San Francisco Daily Journal, October 8, 2004
• Robert Hulse, "Federal Circuit Applies On-Sale Bar in Case Involving Software", San Francisco Daily Journal, September 15, 2003
• Robert Hulse, Note, "Patentability of Computer Software After State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Financial Group, Inc.: Evisceration of the Subject Matter Requirement", 33 U.C. Davis. L. Rev. 491 (2000)

Presentations:

• "How Bilski Has Impacted Method Patents", Ivy Associates 2010 All Hands Meeting, Santa Clara, CA,
  December 2010
• "Cutting Through IP Strategies for Medical Devices", Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 2009
• "Prior Art & Obviousness 2009: The PTO and CAFC Perspective on Patent Law Sections 102 & 103", Practising Law Institute, San Francisco, September 2009
• "Intellectual Property Primer", Technology Transfer Workshop, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, August 2009
• "Technology Assessment and Patent Protection", Technology Commercialization and Development Programme, National University of Singapore Extension, National University of Singapore, Singapore, August 2009
• "Advanced Patent Prosecution Workshop 2008: Claim Drafting & Amendment Writing", Practicing Law Institute, San Francisco, August 2008
• "Preparing for the New Patent Rules", Utah State Bar, Salt Lake City, Utah, December 10, 2007
• "Patent Law 2006: The Year Past and the Year Ahead, Fenwick & West, January 19, 2006
• "Patent Law 2004: Year in Review", Fenwick & West, January 13, 2005
• "What Any Entrepreneur Should Know About IP, Contracts, and Other Legal Issues", Harvey Mudd College Entrepreneurial Network Bi-Annual Entrepreneur's Conference, April 6, 2002