Wesley D. Blakeslee - 2006
Wesley Blakeslee is Associate General Counsel at The Johns Hopkins University, where he practices intellectual property and complex business law. He received an Engineering Degree from Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. with honors (Order of the Coif) from the University of Maryland Law School. Mr. Blakeslee began his professional career as an engineer and systems analyst with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration before entering private legal practice. He formed his own practice in 1983, and simultaneously served as Director of Computer Development at the University of Maryland Law School, where he also taught Computer Law.
Mr. Blakeslee has been a member of NACUA since 1999 and has served on the Committee on Legal Education and the NACUANOTES Editorial Board. He has been a frequent speaker at Annual Conferences and CLE workshops on topics relating to technology and research, and was the featured speaker at the October 2004 NACUA Webcast focusing on Acacia Media Technology Patent Infringement Notices. In addition to lending his expertise to that effort, he facilitated the formation of a joint defense arrangement involving over 150 colleges and universities to address the video streaming patent claims by Acacia. As a result of his efforts, many NACUA institutions were able to avoid the costly expenditure of time and dollars on individual patent opinions and background research in connection with the Acacia claims.
NACUA is pleased to recognize Wesley Blakeslee as the first recipient of its First Decade Award. His efforts in responding to Acacia’s claims of patent infringement and his leadership role in mitigating the impact of potential litigation for many NACUA member institutions, combined with his service as a speaker and his contributions to the practice of higher education law, make him an ideal recipient of this award.