Bruce Sunstein is a patent attorney in Merchant’s Boston office, where he brings decades of experience in building and enforcing high-value patent portfolios. He is a trusted strategist to startups, market leaders, and research institutions across a range of industries, including artificial intelligence, software, electronics, life sciences, and medical devices. Bruce’s patent work has contributed to enforcement outcomes resulting in eight- and nine-figure recoveries, and his strategic counsel has helped clients secure dominant IP positions in competitive markets.
Bruce regularly advises on the development, enforcement, and monetization of intellectual property, with deep experience in inter partes review proceedings, reexaminations, and appeals before the PTAB and Federal Circuit. His background includes obtaining patents across a wide array of innovations, from neuromedical devices and gene expression assays to data compression software, financial systems, and x-ray inspection technologies. He also counsels clients on technology-based transactions and compliance strategies involving federally funded research.
A recognized thought leader in IP law, Bruce is frequently engaged as an expert witness and arbitrator in complex intellectual property disputes. He has provided expert analysis in patent litigation, trade secret matters, antitrust disputes, and malpractice claims in both federal court and arbitration settings. His testimony and reports have played a key role in matters involving cutting-edge technologies, high-stakes enforcement, and industry-shaping legal issues.
Bruce is a longtime mentor with the MIT Venture Mentoring Service and an active member of numerous professional organizations, including AIPLA, LES, and IEEE. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, IAM Patent 1000, IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders, Massachusetts Super Lawyers®, and was recently named to the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame. Prior to joining Merchant, Bruce was a founding partner at Sunstein LLP.