Bernie Zidar

​

Bernie Zidar is passionate about helping inventors harness and realize the value of their innovation.  He has been a leader in the intellectual property community for more than 25 years, first as a partner with the IP boutique Needle & Rosenberg, PC (now Ballard Spahr, LLP) where he focused on complex patent litigation and strategic patent portfolio development.  From there, Mr. Zidar moved to McKesson Corporation, a global distributor of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and a provider of health information technology, where he was Assistant General Counsel and Chief IP Counsel for over 15 years.  At McKesson, Mr. Zidar built the company’s patent program and led the IP team, with responsibility for all patent, trademark, copyright and confidentiality programs and disputes. 

​

Mr. Zidar left McKesson in 2022 to found Zidar IP Strategies, LLC, a strategic IP advisory firm focused on helping small and medium sized technology companies to identify and develop their valuable IP assets.  

​

Mr. Zidar is active in service roles within the legal community.  He is a Trustee of the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in Intellectual Property Law (FADIPL), which works to promote and advance racial and ethnic diversity in the IP field.  Mr. Zidar also serves on the Executive Leadership Committee of the Association for Corporate Patent Counsel (ACPC), where he was past president in 2021.  He is also active in support of the Emory University School of Law, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors, and is a past member of the Alumni Advisory Board.

Mr. Zidar earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and worked as a mechanical engineer with Westinghouse Electric Company before earning a JD with distinction at the Emory University School of Law.  He is licensed to practice by the State Bar of Georgia and the US Patent & Trademark Office, and has been admitted to practice in numerous state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level.

​

Mr. Zidar is an avid golfer, fly fisherman, snowboarder, and wakeboarder, and lives with his wife Elisa and their dog Alice in Atlanta, GA.