Munck Wilson Mandala has added principal attorney Eric Zyla to the firm’s intellectual property practice. Zyla brings more than 30 years of IP legal experience. He is known for his outstanding patent prosecution work and his acumen in electrical and computer technologies. Zyla previously worked as general counsel at KinAptic, a hi-tech startup for wearable electronics/medical devices in Madison, Conn.
A registered patent attorney, Zyla is licensed to practice law in Texas, New York, California, and Connecticut. His legal background includes working at an IP boutique in Connecticut, working as an associate general counsel for a manufacturer of medical diagnostic devices in California, working as of counsel at a national law firm in Los Angeles, and working as an IP associate at one of New York City’s largest patent litigation law firms. Zyla also ran his own law office in New York, acting as outsourced general counsel for foreign companies in the U.S. and as outsourced in-house counsel, advising on IP matters for a diverse group of Fortune 500 companies.
“Eric has a strong engineering and high-tech background,” said Jake LaCombe, one of MWM’s senior intellectual property partners. “He is an excellent addition to our IP team, and we look forward to working with him.”
Prior to his legal career, Zyla was an engineer working for a medical motion picture division in New York and he also worked as a systems analysis engineer holding a secret clearance, working with a major U.S. defense contractor.
Zyla’s patent work includes prosecuting numerous patent applications, including applications for Nokia and IBM. He also has an extensive background managing IP portfolios and new product development, protecting client IP through litigation and arbitration, and negotiating and drafting technology transactions including software and licensing agreements.
Zyla received his JD from The University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering, with honors, from Manhattan College, a private college in Riverdale, N.Y. He also holds an International MBA, with honors, from Thunderbird School of Global Management, in Glendale, Ariz.
Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Marshall, TX, Los Angeles, Calif., and is currently opening an office in Boca Raton, Fla. Listed as an Inc. Best Workplace in 2020 by Inc. Magazine, the firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, real estate, employment law, and various other practices. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Learn more about the firm at http://www.munckwilson.com.