Paul Coble, Attorney

Paul is an intellectual property attorney and software startup founder with a deep background in cannabis science and technology. He studied molecular biology and chemistry as an undergraduate before turning to the study of law. Paul attended Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and graduated cum laude with a concentration in Law, Science, and Technology–the study of how science and law interact and affect each other’s trajectories.

Paul practiced for many years at an Am Law 200 firm in Chicago, IL. Paul has helped clients navigate and mitigate risk relating to intellectual property and heavily regulated markets such as alcohol, biotech, personal data, pharmaceuticals, and, of course, cannabis. He has managed international trademark portfolios, crafted complex licensing agreements, and shepherded all types of IP throughout their lifecycles, from conception to commercialization to enforcement.

He is a registered patent attorney with experience prosecuting patents, advising investors and companies about patent valuations, and providing invalidity and/or non-infringement opinions of competitive patents. Paul is the curator of the world’s first public database of cannabis patents, BottledCloud.io. His varied technical background also allows him to work closely with product and engineering teams to design around patented technology.

Paul also has extensive courtroom experience, litigating complex intellectual property cases across the country. He has litigated patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other commercial disputes relating to a wide variety of technologies, including medical devices, manufacturing systems, consumer electronics, power tools, and software.

In 2018, Paul launched Thalo Technologies to develop software for cannabis and hemp manufacturers to better capture and interpret their lab data to make more profitable decisions. He is an active member of the National Cannabis Industry Association, currently serving as Chair of the Cannabis Manufacturing Committee. Paul is also an adjunct instructor of cannabis policy and risk mitigation for Excelsior University’s Masters of Criminal Justice program. As a member of Excelsior’s Cannabis Industry Advisory Committee, Paul develops the cannabis curriculum and advises the college on creating education programs that meet the industry’s needs.

Throughout his career, Paul has been involved in a number of philanthropic causes. Paul was the general counsel and board member of the Bucktown Arts Fest in Chicago and taught STEM clinics on building water-powered rockets. Currently, Paul volunteers as general counsel of the Social Justice & Engineering Initiative, which brings engineering solutions to social justice causes.