Launch Partner Spotlight: Andrew Reed

WHEN YOU’RE READY, WE’LL BE READY

As we’ve been navigating these trying times, the CityCentral team has been brainstorming ideas on how we can help DFW businesses thrive when the time is right. With the assistance of our amazing partners, we came up with our latest idea, LAUNCH. The LAUNCH program is not just space, but a set of tools to help you either launch or re-launch your business. Over the next few weeks, we will be talking to our partners in the LAUNCH program, who are ready to tell you why they are excited to give back to DFW businesses.

Andrew Reed has worn many hats. In addition to his Master’s degree in electrical engineering, Andrew is an avid musician and Olympic caliber trap shooter. Yet above his many accolades, Andrew Reed is an incredibly successful intellectual property attorney.  We at CityCentral are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Andrew as a leader in our LAUNCH program. We are fortunate to have had Mr. Reed sit down and discuss what he plans to provide for LAUNCH members.

“[I DIDN'T WANT] TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE I WOULD NEVER REALLY BE MY OWN BOSS.”

One of the most interesting things about Andrew's career as an intellectual property attorney is that it almost wasn't. While attending UT Arlington, Mr. Reed pursued a degree in electrical engineering and later received his Master’s degree in the same subject. When looking at the job field, he realized that electrical engineering might not provide him with the opportunities he was looking for in a career. He declined a job offer as an electrical engineer after taking the LSAT, ultimately attending law school.

“[WE PROTECT] WHATEVER THE SECRET SAUCE IS.”

Intellectual property law is ever-present, though often misunderstood in the business world, especially for new businesses. Intellectual property law manifests in four major categories: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Patents protect a person's idea; trademarks protect the brand; copyrights protect expressions of an idea or brand; and trade secrets are the secret sauce. As an intellectual property attorney, Mr. Reed's goal is to identify every way a business can protect its intellectual property and ensure those protections are firmly in place.

“THE KEY IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU CAN PROTECT”

As a partner of the LAUNCH program, Mr. Reed is offering consultations to members who have inquiries regarding their available protections. These meetings can range from covering all the basics of intellectual property to identifying the specific course of action necessary to protect intellectual property. Regardless, consultations offer the opportunity to focus on how an individual or company can maintain its competitive advantage in the current uncertain climate. Mr. Reed emphasizes there are few things more crucial to a business than understanding the value of its intellectual properties and knowing how to protect them.

“WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS … HOW CAN WE START MOVING FORWARD?”

The focus of the LAUNCH program is to assist business leaders, regardless of experience, secure their foothold in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis.  To that end, Andrew Reed wants to help businesses recognize what makes them unique, what sets them apart from the competition, and how business leaders can protect themselves. We are confident that the LAUNCH program members have methods and ideas that will be helpful to not only themselves but also the community. CityCentral and Andrew Reed want nothing more than to help protect those innovators.