What Happened?
Richland, WA-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has Promoted Vincent A. Branton as General Counsel
About the Company
PNNL advances the frontiers of knowledge, taking on some of the world`s greatest science and technology challenges. Distinctive strengths in chemistry, earth sciences, and data analytics are the heart of our science mission, laying a foundation for innovations that improve America`s energy resiliency and enhance our national security. We are a national lab with Pacific Northwest roots and global reach. Whether our researchers are unlocking the mysteries of Earth`s climate, helping modernize the U.S. electric power grid, or safeguarding ports around the world from nuclear smuggling, we accept great challenges for one purpose: to create a world that is safer, cleaner, more prosperous, and more secure. Let us show you what happens when great minds meet great challenges.
About the Person
In his current position, Vincent Branton manages the legal and intellectual property law functions at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). His objective is to provide world-class legal services to support the world-class science being performed at PNNL. These services are provided through understanding internal clients` business and partnering with them to enable accomplishment of their goals, with appropriate consideration of legal issues and risks. Vincent is the key point of contact for legal and policy issues for PNNL and Battelle`s Pacific Northwest Division. The legal services provided include but are not limited to prime contract negotiation, drafting and negotiation of legal agreements necessary to conduct business at PNNL, employee and labor relations, environmental safety and health regulatory compliance, human subjects research, protection of intellectual property rights, litigation, client counseling, and retention and management of outside counsel. In his role as General Counsel, Vincent also provides support to Battelle’s Pacific Northwest Division Board of Directors. Vincent began his career as an engineer for Honeywell Inc. Space Systems Operations working primarily on the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs. He later worked with Lockheed Martin Energy Services Corporation (LMES) and its predecessors in engineering and managerial capacities before embarking on a career in law. Vincent developed an interest in intellectual property law while serving at LMES and joined the LMES Intellectual Property Law Department as a patent agent. While attending law school, Vincent also worked as a patent agent with the Honeywell, Inc. Legal Department and served as a federal judicial intern with the Honorable Magistrate Judge Tom McCoun, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. Vincent worked for the UT-Battelle, LLC Office of General Counsel at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) before joining Battelle in 2003 as the Intellectual Property Legal Services Manager at PNNL. Vincent served as the Intellectual Property Legal Services Manager at PNNL until 2008 when he became the Legal Department Manager at PNNL. He was subsequently promoted to General Counsel in 2014. Vincent is a registered patent attorney and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Tennessee, and Washington. While attending the Stetson University College of Law (Stetson), Vincent served two years as a member of the Stetson Law Review where he was elected editor in chief for the 1998-99 edition. He received several service and academic awards while at Stetson and served on the National Conference of Law Reviews Executive Board during his third year. After graduation, Vincent was selected as a charter member of the Stetson Lawyers Association Advisory Board where he served two three-year terms. Vincent earned a bachelor`s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and a juris doctorate from the Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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