Founding Partner, Bodner &
O’Rourke, LLP
2010 Intellectual Property Awards Committee, Long Island Technology
Hall of Fame
Growing up with an inquiring mind, Gerald T. Bodner ’81 loved to
tinker with electrical components that he salvaged from discarded
television sets in his neighborhood. As a child, Mr. Bodner
aspired to be a TV repair man or launch his own company “Bodner
Electronics.” This fascination with all things electrical, and
ultimately engineering, led to his first degree - a B.S. in
Electrical Engineering.
After graduating from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Mr. Bodner
went to work for a major defense contractor which had been awarded
a large government defense contract with highly technical,
electronic specifications. He was responsible for designing
analog and digital circuits and software for various radar and
radar-jamming systems, including the countermeasures equipment for
the B-1 bomber. A by-product of his efforts was to explore
the legal protections afforded inventors for their circuit
designs. A new passion was uncovered – intellectual property
and patent law.
Mr. Bodner elected to attend St. John’s Law because he knew of the
Law School’s fine reputation, having grown up in the region.
While a student, he was involved with the Patent and Copyright Law
Club which further fueled his passion for protecting the rights of
inventors. His analytical mind thrived in Law School,
challenged regularly by fellow engineer and legal mind Adjunct
Professor of Law, Ronald B. Hildreth.
As practicing counsel, Mr. Bodner co-litigated the Festo v. SMC
patent dispute. Within the intellectual property arena, this is a
case of landmark importance and one of the higher profile patent
cases heard by the Supreme Court in the last 150 years.
During the lengthy fourteen year tug of war which resulted in a
favorable U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2002 that upheld
infringement by equivalency, Mr. Bodner assisted former Solicitor
General Robert Bork in his preparation for the Supreme Court oral
argument. For patent lawyers and inventors, the
decision upholds the right of patent holders to protect their
designs from infringement despite the fact that the original design
was not exactly duplicated. The basis of the case was the
doctrine of equivalents, which protects inventors from imitators
who attempt to avoid licensing fees by making subtle design
changes.
An inventor himself at heart, Mr. Bodner became involved with the
Long Island Technology Hall of Fame (LITHF). The objective of
the Long Island Technology Hall of Fame is to recognize, honor and
preserve the contributions, accomplishments, and dedication of
historical figures or current leaders in science or technology who
have had, or are having, an impact on Long Island. Each year,
Mr. Bodner diligently reviews the multitude of patents granted to
Long Island inventors to narrow the field of potential nominations
for inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Members of the Hall of
Fame include Leroy Grumman (defense industry), James D. Watson
(genetic research) and Charles Wang (computer programming).
Counseling the Class of 2010, Mr. Bodner, ever the entrepreneur,
notes: “A weak job market is a great time for you to test
your entrepreneurial skills by starting your own practice.
Don’t be afraid to try. With your St. John’s legal education,
you have learned all of the foundational skills you need to get
started, and guidance from St. John’s strong network of alumni will
get you through any rough spots. We are here to help
you.”