Matt Fagan

Matt Fagan is a partner in Goodwin’s Life Sciences group and a registered patent attorney who advises medical device, digital health, and technology companies on intellectual property strategy. With a background in computer science, Matt focuses on software-intensive technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, and has extensive experience developing and managing patent portfolios involving medical devices, drug delivery systems, robotics, computer vision, control systems, analytical instrumentation, and other technologies combining software and complex physical systems.

Matt works with clients ranging from startups to global public companies to develop IP strategies aligned with their business and product objectives. His practice includes strategic patent portfolio development and prosecution, competitive patent landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses, infringement and validity counseling, IP diligence, and pre-litigation risk assessment. Matt also advises startups and emerging companies on broader IP strategy, including invention capture and patent-filing priorities, software and data protection, privacy matters, competitive positioning, and preparing IP portfolios for financings, strategic transactions, and commercialization.

Matt is also a leader in Goodwin’s development and adoption of artificial intelligence for patent practice. He has developed AI-enabled workflows and new classes of AI-assisted legal deliverables for the Life Sciences practice, with a particular focus on improving the quality and efficiency of patent preparation and Office Action analysis and response. Matt has led training for Goodwin’s patent practitioners on the effective use of AI-enabled legal workflows and works to integrate emerging AI capabilities into sophisticated patent counseling and portfolio-management practices.

Matt has significant experience advising clients on artificial intelligence and other advanced computing technologies. In addition to his AI practice, he has prepared and prosecuted patent applications involving quantum computing and advised clients regarding quantum-computing patent strategy. Matt holds a professional certificate in the Fundamentals of Quantum Computing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Matt’s representative experience includes:

• Advising medical device and life sciences companies on the development and management of global patent portfolios covering integrated hardware, software, control systems, sensing technologies, artificial intelligence, and data-driven products. 
• Counseling companies developing AI-enabled and software-intensive products on patent strategy and the protection of software, data, machine-learning technologies, computer vision, and control systems. 
• Developing international IP protection strategies for multinational companies.
• Advising startups and emerging companies on IP strategy, including invention capture, portfolio architecture, patent-filing priorities, competitive positioning, and preparation for financings, collaborations, and other strategic transactions. 
• Developing patent strategies for commercially important product platforms, including identifying portfolio gaps, developing continuation and divisional strategies, and evaluating competitor patent positions. 
• Conducting infringement, validity, freedom-to-operate, and competitive landscape analyses and advising clients regarding design-around, enforcement, and pre-litigation strategies. 
• Preparing and prosecuting patents involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, medical devices, user interfaces, simulation, encryption, and quantum computing. 
• Successfully advocating before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in appeals involving software and computer-implemented technologies. 
• Conducting IP diligence in significant corporate transactions, including an acquisition valued at nearly $1 billion and a $165 million public offering.* 

*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Matt was an equity principal at Kacvinsky Daisak Bluni and counsel at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

Matt is active with the Hon. Lee Yeakel IP Inn of Court in Austin, Texas.

Matt has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in the 2013-2017 editions of New England Super Lawyers.

Matt’s recent publications/speaking engagements include:

• Co-Author, “What European Medtechs Should Know About the US Patent System,” Goodwin Insight, August 6, 2025
• Co-Author, “The Art of AI: Protected by Copyright Law or Up for Grabs?,” Goodwin Insight, August 24, 2023
• Author, “Copyright Law’s Employment Test Is Frighteningly Outdated,” IP Law 360, October 2021
• Author, “5th Circ. Copyright Case Is Cautionary Tale For Big Data Cos.,” IP Law 360, August 2020
• Quoted, “The Ginormous Reason BigLaw, and All Law, Should Get on Board with Working Remotely,” Of Counsel Law Magazine, July 2019
• Co-Author, “Approaching AI Inventions Under New USPTO Guidance,” IP Law 360, April 3, 2019
• Author, “Quantum Computing Raises Problems for the Patent System,” IP Law 360, August 28, 2018
• Author, “Summary Affirmances Could Undo the Federal Circuit,” IP Law 360, June 23, 2017
• Author, “Guest Post: Secret Software Sales” Patently-O, June 15, 2017
• Author, “Will Yahoo Feed the Patent Trolls?” IP Watchdog, October 28, 2016
• Author, “Will High Court Take On Software Compatibility?” IP Law 360, June 23, 2015
• Author, “The Legal Community’s Use of Cached Web Pages in and out of Trial,” B.U. J SCI. & TECH. L., Spring 2007
• Author, “The FEC and Individual Internet Sites after Shays and Meehan v. FEC,” B.U. J. SCI. & TECH. L., Summer 2006
• Co-Author, “Perceptual Limits for a Robotic Rehabilitation Environment Using Visual Feedback Distortion,” TRANS. ON NEURAL SYS. & REHAB. ENGR. 1, March 2005
• Co-Author, “Feedback Distortion for Rehabilitation,” PROC. FROM 11TH IEEE SYMPOSIUM ON HAPTIC INTERFACES FOR VIRTUAL & TELEOPERATOR SYS. 159, March 2003