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Through Ignite Louisville and the LCLD Pathfinders Program, John invests in the next generation of leaders and the Louisville community. He mentors Associates and legal clerks, both within and outside of the Intellectual Property group.
Outside of work, John is a proud father of two, a self-described golf junkie, and an avid world traveler. At the moment, most of his free time belongs to his kids — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
John Purcell is a Partner and registered patent attorney at Gray Ice Higdon focusing his practice on patent prosecution for software-related inventions and the strategic growth and management of patent portfolios. He represents a wide range of clients — from individual inventors and early-stage startups to large global technology companies — helping them identify white space for patent protection in their industries and gaps in existing patent portfolios to ensure they are well positioned for next 20 to 30 years of technological change.
What makes John exceptional is his ability to quickly absorb complex, cutting-edge technology and translate it into patent protection that is both accurate and strategically tailored. Whether the invention involves generative AI, autonomous vehicles, robotics, or whatever comes next, John engages with it at a technical level most attorneys simply cannot. He earned a B.S. and M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering — both with High Honors — before earning his J.D. cum laude. His clients don’t just get a lawyer. They get a strategic partner who understands the technology, the competition, and what truly great patent protection looks like.
John’s practice is built around two interconnected goals: protecting what clients have built today, and positioning their portfolios for what comes next.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2017)
Kentucky Bar (2018)
J.D., cum laude, University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law (2018)
M.Eng., Electrical and Computer Engineering, with High Honors, UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering (2015)
B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, with High Honors, UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering (2014)
John Purcell is a Partner and registered patent attorney at Gray Ice Higdon focusing his practice on patent prosecution for software-related inventions and the strategic growth and management of patent portfolios. He represents a wide range of clients — from individual inventors and early-stage startups to large global technology companies — helping them identify white space for patent protection in their industries and gaps in existing patent portfolios to ensure they are well positioned for next 20 to 30 years of technological change.
What makes John exceptional is his ability to quickly absorb complex, cutting-edge technology and translate it into patent protection that is both accurate and strategically tailored. Whether the invention involves generative AI, autonomous vehicles, robotics, or whatever comes next, John engages with it at a technical level most attorneys simply cannot. He earned a B.S. and M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering — both with High Honors — before earning his J.D. cum laude. His clients don’t just get a lawyer. They get a strategic partner who understands the technology, the competition, and what truly great patent protection looks like.
John’s practice is built around two interconnected goals: protecting what clients have built today, and positioning their portfolios for what comes next.
J.D., cum laude, University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law (2018)
M.Eng., Electrical and Computer Engineering, with High Honors, UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering (2015)
B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, with High Honors, UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering (2014)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2017)
Kentucky Bar (2018)
Through Ignite Louisville and the LCLD Pathfinders Program, John invests in the next generation of leaders and the Louisville community. He mentors Associates and legal clerks, both within and outside of the Intellectual Property group.
Outside of work, John is a proud father of two, a self-described golf junkie, and an avid world traveler. At the moment, most of his free time belongs to his kids — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
