Kurt Hammerle

Kurt G. Hammerle is an intellectual property attorney for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is employed at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), Office of Chief Counsel located in Houston, Texas. Mr. Hammerle graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University) in 1988, and he received his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law located at the College of William & Mary in 1991.  As “in-house” counsel for NASA JSC, Mr. Hammerle primarily practices in the area of intellectual property law, including patent preparation and prosecution, patent licensing, and assistance in patent litigation. His other practice areas include advice and counsel on transactions with public and private organizations for technology development and transfer of federally-funded research.  One transactional matter included an agreement between NASA and General Motors to develop jointly a humanoid robotic system known as “Robonaut 2”, recognized as the NASA Government Invention of the Year in 2015. From 2015-2022 he has served as the Agency Counsel for NASA’s Inventions & Contributions Board. He served as “Of Counsel” in support of the U.S. Department of Justice for the patent infringement case of Ross-Hime Designs v. United States, which was ultimately dismissed on all counts in favor of the United States in November 2020.  He has co-authored two published law articles on the subject of the extra-territorial reach of U.S. patent law on space-related activities.  Mr. Hammerle is affectionately called the “Professor” by his colleagues and friends. In his personal time, he enjoys outdoor activities with his family and friends, including tennis, hiking, off-road cycling, swimming, soccer, and basketball. He also enjoys DIY repair projects at home.