UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law Announces Former Vice President of Microsoft as New Intellectual Property Executive Director
CONCORD, NH (April 16, 2020) – After a national search, the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is proud to name alumnus Micky Minhas (JD/LLM ’97), current senior vice president with Marconi, as the next executive director of the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property (IP). Before his current role with Marconi, Mr. Minhas was vice president and chief patent counsel for Microsoft for 8 years, and vice president of IP strategy at Qualcomm for 13 years. He brings decades of intellectual property experience to the role, having overseen building and licensing multi-billion dollar portfolios for both Microsoft and Qualcomm during his impressive career.
“I’m honored to take on this role and better connect UNH Franklin Pierce to the world of IP,” said Minhas. “I look forward to facilitating the real-world interactions students need to get ahead while also fueling growth in our IP programs to match marketplace demands. I’m honored to be back at my alma mater, a powerhouse in IP, ranking in the top 10 for IP law since the rankings began nearly 30 years ago.”
Minhas has been teaching at the law school for the last two years as the Franklin Pierce distinguished professor of IP practice. This January, he taught nearly 50 students on an immersive classroom experience he organized to Silicon Valley. While there, he facilitated discussions with the heads of intellectual property at Amazon, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Intel, LG, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PayPal, Samsung, the USPTO and more. His vision to bring IP alive through real-world experiences is integral to Dean Megan Carpenter’s initiatives.
“I am thrilled to welcome Micky as the law school’s next IP Center executive director,” said Dean Carpenter. “He’s a trailblazer in the industry, a skilled teacher, and will propel our IP programs into the next iteration of their success. UNH Franklin Pierce is known as powerhouse law school in part because of the powerhouse people we bring to our community.”
In his new role, Minhas will lead the development and execution of strategic initiatives that will enhance the law school’s impact on the IP community, increase enrollment in JD and graduate programs, and raise the school’s profile and reputation in IP and technology-law related areas. Minhas started his career in electrical engineering, earning a B.S. in the field from Marquette University and an M.S. from George Washington University. He officially starts his new role at UNH Franklin Pierce this July.
About University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
Accredited by the American Bar Association, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law is located in Concord, New Hampshire, and is ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 law schools and, for the 29th year in a row, a top 10 school for the study of intellectual property law.
