Katherine Franco

Katherine Franco
Partner
Intellectual Property

Biography

Katherine Franco is a registered patent attorney who concentrates her practice in the protection of innovation with a special focus on high-tech.

She primarily focuses on patent portfolio development, including preparation and prosecution, licensing, strategic acquisition of intellectual property rights, opinion work, and client counseling. Katherine is skilled at assisting high-tech companies to protect software-based emerging technologies, as well as guiding organizations entering the software space through the challenges of software protection and patent eligibility. Her practice includes strategic patent prosecution including utilizing United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) pilot programs to produce high-value patent assets for her clients. Her emphasis lies in applying her computer science and engineering background to technical disciplines related to software and electronics, such as:

  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Virtual and augmented reality applications
  • Image processing systems and technology
  • Electronic gaming technology
  • Consumer electronics and mobile device technology
  • Security software and systems
  • Computer hardware
  • Media applications
  • Cloud-based systems
  • Data center technology

In addition to her patent practice, Katherine frequently counsels clients in artificial intelligence (“AI”) law, governance, and regulatory strategy. Building on two decades of immersion in emerging technologies including AI from the technical, legal, and policy perspectives, Katherine approaches an evolving AI legal landscape from a technologist-first perspective. She advises organizations on responsible AI deployment, regulatory frameworks, and policy implications, and is a frequent speaker and writer on these topics. Her undergraduate computer science work at MIT focused on AI, along with the interplay of technology and society, laying the foundation for her counseling practice that leverages her technical fluency to provide actionable solutions tailored to each client’s technology and business objectives.

During law school, Katherine served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Arthur J. Gajarsa at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Prior to practicing law, she supported technology licensing and technology transfer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Rice University.

Outside the Firm

Katherine maintains a busy pro bono practice in the field of voting rights. Her experience includes running statewide voter protection hotlines, acting as a presiding election judge, and implementing large-scale pro bono projects. She is co-chair of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (“LFAA”) Voting Rights Working Group. She has also used her legal experience as a content advisor for the nationally televised PBS special, DEADLOCK: an election story.

Katherine is a community leader in Houston and Harris County, and has served on numerous committees of government office holders. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Geohazards International, an international nonprofit dedicated to saving lives by empowering at-risk communities worldwide to build resilience ahead of disasters and climate impacts. Katherine has experience as a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Community Responsive Algorithms for Social Accountability (“CRASA”) project at the University of Houston, dedicated to developing an algorithm accountability benchmark to meet societal and legal needs and guide best practices.

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • 2025, “Leading Global IP Lawyer,” listed in Lawdragon
  • 2024–2026, Patent Law, Houston, TX, listed in Best Lawyers in America© (Woodward/White, Inc.)
  • 2024, “Outstanding Diversity Champion,” Houston Business Journal's Diversity in Business Awards
  • 2022, “Top Women in IP,” Texas Lawyer Magazine's Texas Legal Awards
  • 2022, “40 Under 40,” Houston Business Journal
  • 2017, “Woman to Watch,” Houston Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Awards
  • 2017, Finalist, “Diversity Role Model,” Houston Business Journal's Diversity in Business Awards

Affiliations

Memberships

  • Houston Intellectual Property Law Association
Professional Activities

Katherine is a member of the MIT Club of South Texas, ChIPs Network, the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, and the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Texas
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Education

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BS
  • University of Houston Law Center, JD
Languages
  • Spanish

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.

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