Slayden Grubert Beard PLLC Welcomes New Patent Attorney

Slayden Grubert Beard PLLC (SGB) is pleased to announce that Valerie K. Barker has joined the Firm as a Senior Associate.

Ms. Barker is a trial lawyer and patent attorney with over 9 years of experience in patent litigation and patent prosecution. She regularly handles complex disputes involving concurrent proceedings in Federal Courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC) and proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and she has served as the lead associate on high-stakes patent infringement matters.

“I am excited to continue my legal career at SGB,” said Ms. Barker. “Many of my friends and former colleagues previously made the move to SGB and I look forward to once again working with them to provide the same high quality legal services to our clients but with more efficiency and at a lower cost. It is a win-win.”

Ms. Barker earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering & Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University. From 2003-2010, Ms. Barker worked for Lockheed Martin and Boeing in various engineering roles. She subsequently obtained her J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Ms. Barker began her legal career with Baker Botts in 2012 before moving to Norton Rose in 2021. Ms. Barker is the current President of the Austin Intellectual Property Law Association and serves as Board Chair of American Gateways, a non-profit that provides immigration legal services at no or low cost to those in need.