Merchant & Gould, an intellectual property law firm, is pleased to announce that Chris J. Leonard, partner and chair of the firm's electrical and software practice group, has graduated from the Harvard Business School General Management Program.

Leonard, who founded the firm's Atlanta and Knoxville offices, was admitted into the intensive in-residence program along with 81 other participants representing 24 countries. The program, which focuses heavily on middle to senior level business management, covers a variety of topics including financial analysis, human resources management, corporate governance, leadership and global economics.

Leonard began his career as an intellectual property attorney in 1994. His practice is focused on counseling clients on matters relating to software, e-commerce, telecommunications and traditional electrical and mechanical technologies. His practice encompasses U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, patent infringement and validity analysis, and licensing counseling. He also has extensive litigation experience in all areas of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, unfair competition and copyright. He holds a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee, a certificate in software engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law.