Us lawyers, we get a bad rap. Of course, this sentiment is not completely unfounded—as with any profession, there are good and bad people, both personality-wise and professionally. However, it never ceases to amaze me of folks’ overwhelming negative reactions pertaining to attorneys. Perhaps it is the popular, stereotypical portrayal of attorneys being nothing more than money-hungry, cold, calculated automatons bent on nothing less than personal gain and complete submission of the counterparty. While some attorneys undoubtedly fit this mold, I am here to tell you that not all of us attorneys are cut from that cloth and at the end of the day, I am on your side and here to help!
I have been an attorney with an expertise in intellectual property for over 15 years, having spent 8 of those at the University. Having grown up in Norman, this is truly a dream come true for me. I recently moved over into the Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships (OICP) as Senior Counsel for Research, Innovation, and Corporate Partnerships. In this role, I counsel University researchers and administration on intellectual property and research-related matters—which is fantastic as I have always viewed myself as a scientist first, having graduated with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. One of the best parts of my job is meeting with OU researchers and finding out about the amazing research initiatives and projects they are involved in. In addition to developing intellectual property-based strategy, I am also actively engaged in the drafting and negotiation of IP-related agreements. You need a nondisclosure agreement to talk with someone about facilitating your research—I am your guy! You need to receive or ship materials for a research project—there’s an agreement for that! And when you create the next big thing as a result of your cutting-edge research, rest assured that I have done everything in my power to ensure that you reap the benefits of that success.
In short, I am here to help so please let me help you. I will always jump on a phone call, take you to lunch, or come by your lab to discuss whatever it is that you need. But I can only do these things if you contact me at (405) 325-3800 or via email at mschade@ou.edu.
