Coats + Bennett, PLLC, one of the nation’s highest rated intellectual property and patent law firms, is proud to announce that Larry Coats, senior member of Coats + Bennett, was honored with the 2017 North Carolina State University Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) Distinguished Alumni Award. BAE students and alumni are leaders in providing a safe and abundant food supply; clean water and air; renewable sources of energy; as well as life-enhancing and life-saving products to the world. Coats was nominated for the award due to both his outstanding contributions in his profession and the BAE program.

"I am proud of my friend and business partner, Larry Coats, for receiving this honor,” said David Kalish, managing partner Coats and Bennett, P.L.L.C. "Larry is a true leader in the world of preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a variety of technologically diverse areas. That the department of BAE selected him as their Distinguished Alumni for 2017 is a statement not only to his commitment to the legal community, but also his passion for the BAE program at NC State.”

With over 35 years of experience in intellectual property, Mr. Coats has been recognized by his peers as being at the top of their field regarding patents, trademarks, copyrights, and infringement litigation. His experience extends to the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in a variety of technologically diverse areas including medical devices, oil recovery systems and processes, and packaging equipment. He currently manages an international water and wastewater treatment practice focusing on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications throughout the world on biological and chemical: water and wastewater treatment, ballasted flocculation, and membrane filtration.

“The BAE department at NC State is one of the top programs in the country and I am truly honored to be recognized for not only the work that I have done for our clients, but also for my contributions to this great university,” said Coats.

Nominees for the Distinguished Alumni Award must have received a degree from North Carolina State University and have a record of service to the profession, community, industry, and/or to NC State and the BAE Department. Coats obtained his Bachelor of Science in BAE from NC State in 1967 and has served on the Advisory Board for the NC State BAE Department. The NC State Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is ranked consistently in the top ten of programs in the country. BAE is the engineering of the future, integrating a strong background in engineering science with agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental, and ecological principles. After NC State, Mr. Coats went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1969 and has been practicing with Coats + Bennett, PLLC since 1987. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Association, North Carolina Bar Association and Wake County Bar Association. In addition to being awarded this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Coats was also named to the Thomson Reuters 2017 Super Lawyers list within the Intellectual Property category by his peers across the nation.