Michael A. Schade, who previously served as the intellectual property counsel and staff attorney for the University of Oklahoma, has been named the senior counsel for research, innovation and corporate partnerships for the Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships at OU, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval.
Working under the direction of Chief Innovation and Corporate Officer John Hanak, Schade will have legal oversight on all matters related to research and intellectual property across OU’s three campuses.
“We are excited to bring Michael aboard to work with us as a strategic partner as we develop the newly formed Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships,” Hanak said. “His legal expertise, combined with the entire research vision and objectives of the university, will be vital in transforming our collective efforts in bringing OU technologies to the marketplace. Michael’s experience uniquely positions our office to do that.”
For more than a decade, Schade has served in a strategic capacity in the Office of Legal Counsel and within the Office of Technology Commercialization – formerly the Office of Technology Development. He has conducted dozens of contract negotiations with Fortune 100 companies, consulted and led multiple corporate engagements, and partnered with business leaders to identify and optimize intellectual property portfolio management strategies that improve growth.
“Michael has served as an integral lawyer on OU’s legal team,” said Susanna Gattoni, interim vice president and general counsel. “The relationships he has built and his knowledge of science make him well suited to serve as senior counsel for the Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships. We are confident that providing this type of specialized legal and business support directly to OU’s research campuses will increase the success of technologies and innovation entering the market.”
He has authored multiple scientific papers, served on industry boards and is an adjunct faculty member for both the Price College of Business and the College of Law at OU.
“I am excited to step into my new role with the Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships,” Schade said. “Consistent with the university’s research objectives and initiatives, I hope to utilize my network and experience to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies that create new jobs and maximize the economic growth and impact for the state of Oklahoma and the community I’ve been a part of my entire life.”
The Office of Innovation and Corporate Partnerships was founded in 2021 to integrate the university’s collective efforts in strengthening corporate partnerships for strategic research, licensing new technologies and launching OU-led startups based on OU faculty, staff and students’ intellectual property. OICP helps OU innovators move transformative technologies from the lab to the marketplace and engage with industry and business to build access to capital and talent. Learn more at ou.edu/oicp.
