Darrin A. Auito

Darrin Auito, JD, MSE, MBA, counsels clients of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to startups, on intellectual property (IP) and business law matters. His practice is focused on management and monetization of IP portfolios, preparing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications, advising on freedom-to-operate matters, IP litigation (PTAB, ITC, District Court), trademarks, branding, and anti-counterfeiting.

Darrin has prepared, filed and prosecuted hundreds of U.S. and foreign patent applications in fields such as automotive, autonomous vehicles, drones, artificial intelligence, medical devices, robotics, manufacturing systems, mobile payments, sporting equipment, solar, and energy. In addition, Darrin has represented clients as lead and local counsel in state and federal courts and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) on patent (including design) and trademark matters.

Darrin serves on the Advisory Board of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Counsel (SBEC) – an influential voice for entrepreneurship and small business growth in the U.S. and across the globe. Darrin also advises several technology startup companies and is a select member of the Business Growth Counsel (BGC) in Washington DC.

Prior to forming HEA, Darrin was a partner at a former top 25 intellectual property firm in Washington DC, where he practiced in the patent prosecution and litigation groups.