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Tom Yebernetsky would still spend his free time learning about cars, even if he wasn’t Ford’s lead intellectual property counsel. Whether it’s the car calendars he used to get for Christmas, the collection of toy cars he accumulated as a child, or reading about the latest and greatest innovations in automotive technology, Yebernetsky is a “car guy.”
“Especially right now, as the industry is in such a period of transition, I’m fascinated by powertrains going hybrid or EV, fuel cell technology, and the entire user experience of what it means to be inside a car today,” the attorney says. “We’re at this incredible crossroads, and I get to be part of it.”
His current role is worlds apart from his early career as a nuclear submarine officer. Before law school, the electrical engineering graduate (Penn State University) enlisted and served in the US Navy for five years. He had to learn a lot in a short period of time, including chemistry, mechanical engineering, and nuclear engineering.
“You had to learn fast but also realize that you were learning how to operate a nuclear reactor safely,” Yebernetsky says. “But the nuclear reactor at the back of the submarine was just the beginning.”
In addition to learning the science, a twenty-five-year-old Yebernetsky had to learn to lead professionals who had served for decades and were experts in their fields. Earning the respect of those decades older than him ended up being a transferable skill when he left the Navy. He didn’t always have to be the expert, but he made room for those around him to do their best work, respected their craft, and earned their trust in the process.
“[I]t’s so much fun. It’s the first time in my career I can say that. I wasn’t ever sure I’d get paid to have fun. But I am here.”
Tom Yebernetsky
As transformative as the experience was, a life at sea wasn’t Yebernetsky’s end goal. Nor was law at the time.
“I had a lingering interest in the law,” he says. “But it didn’t necessarily feel like my calling at the time. It just seemed like it was either now or never, so I decided to go for it.”
When Yebernetsky began law school, other law students assumed he would be pursuing patent law, based on his electrical engineering degree. Yebernetsky thought it sounded good, there was one problem. He had little to no idea what they were talking about.
“Everyone around me seemed excited about the idea, and, honestly, that’s what got me to look into it,” the lawyer says. “Maybe they knew something I didn’t, because I did find it interesting.”
In 2012, timing worked in Yebernetsky’s favor when the America Invents Act established the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The alternative venue for patent disputes meant Yebernetsky was suddenly flush with PTAB proceedings and patent litigation. The lawyer says he was granted a depth and variety of work in four years in an area that others would have had to work hard to find.
“I’m fascinated by powertrains going hybrid or EV, fuel cell technology, and the entire user experience of what it means to be inside a car today. We’re at this incredible crossroads, and I get to be part of it.”
Tom Yebernetsky
Coming to Ford was another matter of good timing. Yebernetsky didn’t work with a recruiter, and he wasn’t actively looking for a new job. The job posting just popped up online one day, and he knew he’d be perfect for the gig.
“After doing patent litigation for eleven years, I understood that it probably wasn’t what I exclusively wanted to be doing for the next twenty years,” Yebernetsky says. “I was excited by the prospect of going in-house and working for one client. And, frankly, I needed more balance in my life to spend time with my wife and our family. I wanted to take my kids to school or go to their activities without feeling like I was letting someone down. It made sense across the board.”
Since coming to Ford, Yebernetsky has had to surmount some serious learning curves, though, luckily, none of them involved a nuclear reactor. He’s gotten to move into patent and IP policy, areas he never got to handle as outside counsel. Best of all, he’s having a great time.
“Patent law can be interesting, but I never found it all that fun,” the lead counsel says. “At Ford, I get to be part of cutting-edge technology in the automotive industry, and it’s so much fun. It’s the first time in my career I can say that. I wasn’t ever sure I’d get paid to have fun. But I am here.”
