Firm Overview : Professionals : Principal Biography

Ari Bentolila
Patent Prosecution 
US Patent Bar Registration no. 52614

Ari Bentolila is the founder and Principal of Bay Area Intellectual Property Group (Bay Area IP). His practice includes Patent Prosecution and intellectual property (IP) matters with a significant emphasis on emerging technologies and companies. His extensive experience includes client counseling on intellectual property matters; the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, as well as client counseling and opinions pertaining to patent associated rights. He also has substantial experience in intellectual property audits and due diligence reviews. 

Beyond his extensive Patent Prosecution and IP practice, he has substantial business acumen in the areas of business deal negotiations and strategy; brokering venture/product funding, business model development and analysis, and strategic marketing and competitive analytics.  A very special aspect of his practice, and in many ways what helps distinguish Bay Area IP from its peers, is his strong ability to merge and synergize the diverse and complex aspects of IP protection and business needs, especially in the context of a unified business/IP strategy that achieves the most competitive advantage customized for each companies very unique needs and resources.

Mr. Bentolila is a member of the U.S. Patent Bar, admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in all matters related to patents. For well over 10 years he has worked with patents in patent firm and in-house organizations.

Representative technologies handled by Mr. Bentolila include algorithms, advanced modeling/simulation, artificial/machine intelligence, pattern recognition, data mining, robotics, sensors, analog/digital electronics, power management, software systems/programming, embedded real-time applications, signal processing, battery technology, semiconductor processing and packaging, wireless systems, Business Methods, Internet e-commerce applications and implementation, digital signal processing, computer software, integrated circuit design (both analog and digital), semiconductor technologies; medical devices; networking technologies; mechanical equipment; and telecommunications.

In industry, Mr. Bentolila acquired a technical background and knowledge base that has significant breadth and depth. He possesses a particular in-depth knowledge of switching regulator systems, robotics systems, and machine learning methods such as Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, Hidden Markov Models, and Genetic Algorithms. Beyond technology, Mr. Bentolila has significant experience in invention, entrepreneurship, business models, marketing, and finance.

Mr. Bentolila earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (thesis option) from the University of Florida (U of F) where he graduated with High Honors (cum laude, top 10%). At U of F he further earned a Masters of Science (thesis option) in Electrical and Computer Engineering with research specialization in advanced mobile Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). His Thesis work at the Machine Intelligence Lab focused on R&D in advanced algorithms, platforms, and sensors that lead to intelligent mobile robot behavior. Over all, his discretionary course work emphasized computer science, AI, mathematics, pattern recognition, signal processing, analog design, and business development.

Prior to founding Bay Area IP, Mr. Bentolila worked at Beyer Weaver & Thomas, LLP (BW&T), a top Silicon Valley intellectual property (IP) law firm, where he, along with other members of the firm, prepared and/or prosecuted patent applications in a wide variety of technical areas including digital systems, software, mechanical, semiconductor, data mining, and eCommerce areas.

In addition to patent prosecution, Mr. Bentolila has, in coordination with various legal teams, been a significant contributor to validity opinion, infringement study, and licensing initiatives.

Before Mr. Bentolila's extremely productive time at BW&T, he enjoyed a wide variety of practical industry experience. His last post in industry was as a Software Marketing and Corporate Intellectual Property Manager for a Santa Clara pre-IPO startup corporation that provides embedded speech recognition solutions. In marketing, he focused on developing new products, market penetration strategies, and competition intelligence/analysis. As their IP Manager, he, in coordination with others, drove patent strategy, prosecution, and budgetary forecasts. He created a corporate action plan based on a complex strategic marketing, IP analytics, and a competitive landscape synergistic approach.

Previously, Mr. Bentolila worked as an Artificial Intelligence Research Scientist at a Fremont based, pre-IPO start-up corporation in the interactive TV, targeted advertising space. He was the sole inventor in two key patents (US Pub. #'s: 8,046,797, and 20030101449) covering machine learning, data mining, intelligent agents, and user preference modeling.  These key patents were later purchased by Thomson Licensing, a fortune 500 French Media company.  He was co-inventor in many other patents / pending, including 8,495,679, 8,302,127, 20030097657, 20030093792, and 20030067554, covering business methods, software, and metadata headers. Integral with his scientific duties was a close working relationship with the director of IP in drafting patent applications, and contributing to outside council in IP acquisition/infringement studies.

Mr. Bentolila gained solid technical expertise in mixed-signal semiconductor technology as a Systems Research Engineer for Texas Instruments. His efforts included work in cell-phone power management system-on-a-chip ASICs, behavioral simulation methodologies, Li-Ion battery modeling, switching regulator designs, and product specification definition. To solve critical "show-stopper" problems in a $100M project he conceived of solutions that resulted in three patented inventions (US patent nos. 6,285,173, 6,310,469, and 6,492,793) that he initially drafted for TI's in-house legal department. Mr. Bentolila also was a contributor in a select marketing team charged to map out next generation DSP features, which among other things resulted in the decision to acquire Unitrode, Inc.

Other past technical positions include Research Electronics Engineer at Southwest Research Institute (SRI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). At SRI, Mr. Bentolila worked in the Automation and Data Systems Division, where he was the lead designer of a fuzzy logic tactile robot arm controller, and made key contributions in applied sensor fusion research. At NIST, he was under the Intelligent Systems Division, Robot Systems Integration Group. Among many mobile robot endeavors, Mr. Bentolila developed for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sensors and systems that enabled bomb disposal, mobile robots to convoy.

Prior to Mr. Bentolila's technical and intellectual property career tracks, he honed his entrepreneurial, business, marketing, and sales skills through various inside/outside sales and small business endeavors.

Mr. Bentolila's practice directly renders patent and trademark related services to the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Silicon Valley, and the greater cities of Berkeley, Oakland, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Fremont and all the smaller cities in between. His practice also serves clients nationwide and worldwide by way of the Internet, telephone, and when necessary on-site travel.