Brian Philpott (JD '05) Presented with David McKibbin Excellence in Teaching Award

Brian Philpott (JD '05), Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Ferguson Case Orr Paterson, has been awarded the David McKibbin Excellence in Teaching Award, which is given each year to an adjunct faculty member who exemplifies excellence in teaching and devotion to Pepperdine Law students. The award is named after one of our former full-time tax professors, who was beloved by our students.

Brian attended Pepperdine Law from 2002-2005. He was a Fellow of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Law, now the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law, and served as the President of the Intellectual Property Society. 

In 2011, Brian returned to Pepperdine and began teaching Trademarks and Unfair Competition while he was working as an intellectual property lawyer at Koppel Patrick Heybl & Philpott, applying those same principles that he was teaching in practice every day – advising clients on trademark and patent protection strategies, filing applications, and litigating intellectual property matters in federal court. He soon picked up the Patent Law class and now alternates each semester teaching Patents and Trademarks. In late 2018, Brian and his partners joined Ferguson Case Orr Paterson to provide patent capability in the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group. He counsels a range of clients from single inventors to start-ups to global technology companies.

On teaching at Pepperdine, Brian said: "You sometimes hear about labors of love. This is truly one of those. I love this place and its mission, my colleagues on the faculty and staff, and the students that I get to know who end up teaching me more than I could ever teach them. It really doesn't feel like work, right up until it's time to grade finals."