Dr. Robert Wanat, PhD
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Award-winning Cornell PhD chemist Dr. Wanat has over 30 years of experience in the chemical industry. With 10 personal US patents and leadership in the granting of over 20 additional patents, he is a leading expert in research and development, intellectual property, and litigation initiatives. As a scientist, global director of research, director of manufacturing, and CTO for multi-billion-dollar chemical companies, Dr. Wanat has led initiatives around the world. His expertise in the chemical industry includes polymers, plastics, adhesives, composites, film, sheet, nanotechnology, aerosols, additives, coatings, light management, optics, material science, and intellectual property. He has a broad background in polymers with experience in acrylics, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenics, and fluoropolymers. He has been retained as an expert witness on:
• more than a dozen intellectual property cases including inter partes reviews (IPRs), post grant
reviews (PGRs), and patent infringement cases
• multiple product failure/liability cases
• 5 depositions as expert
• 3 expert testimonies at trial and in arbitration
He is an expert in product development and commercialization of numerous new products with cumulative sales exceeding two-billion dollars for use in automotive, aerospace, cosmetics, energy, medical, construction, packaging, display, lighting, optical, and marine applications. He has supervised teams of 200+ technical professionals and >300 manufacturing employees.
Dr. Wanat has worked with attorneys to secure dozens of patents and to reach favorable resolutions in multi-million-dollar litigations. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Adhesives and Sealants Council and judged the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Adhesives and Sealants Innovation Awards. He is also an expert in process scale-up and manufacturing.
After graduating in 3 years Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Chemistry from the University of Scranton, Wanat earned a PhD from Cornell University with the Tunis Wentink graduate student of the year award and received the distinguished Rohm and Haas Fellowship. He also holds a certificate in technology management from Cal Tech.
As the current president for Innov8 Chem, LLC (innov8chem.com), Dr. Wanat provides chemistry, leadership, and strategic problem solving to the chemical industry with expertise in polymers, plastics, materials, coatings, and adhesives.
- Adhesives
- Aerosols
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Intellectual Property
- Materials
- Paint & Coatings
- Plastics
- Polymers
- Sealants
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Ph.D. in Chemistry; Cornell University
M.S. in Chemistry; Cornell University
Certificate in Technology Management; Cal Tech
B.S. in Chemistry; University of Scranton, PA - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Current member of: American Chemical Society and the Society of Plastics Engineers
Past member of: Society of Automotive Engineers and the Adhesive and Sealant Council (member, and was elected to the Board of Directors) - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Taught Chemistry Laboratory courses to Cornell undergraduate students
Moderator for a materials session at a national biopolymers conference.
Taught and mentored PhD, MS, and BS employees for Arkema and Bostik in chemistry, polymer science, optics, and project management
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Expert Witness on:
• more than a dozen intellectual property cases including inter partes reviews (IPRs), post grant
reviews (PGRs), and patent infringement cases
• multiple product failure/liability cases
• 5 depositions as expert
• 3 expert testimonies at trial and in arbitration
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: I have been retained as an expert in the technical areas of chemicals, polymers, plastics, coatings, adhesives, and related fields for cases involving intellectual property disputes (infringement, invalidity, inter partes reviews, and post grant reviews) as well as on product failure/liability cases. The cases have been related to industrial processes, consumer products, product failures, and personal injury.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: I have been retained by the plaintiff (or petitioner) in more than one-half of my expert engagements.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: I have been retained by the defendant (or patent owner) in less than one-half of my expert engagements.
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: I have been deposed five times.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: My most recent deposition was taken December 2022.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Three
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: Three
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: I have been working with the legal industry as an expert since 2018.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Dr. Wanat provides expert witness and consulting services including reports, declarations, site inspections, literature search and review, product failure analysis, depositions, and court testimony.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $525
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $525
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $750
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $750
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: $250/hr for non-working travel time. Expenses invoiced at cost. $5,000 retainer, returned following notification of completion of the case and after all invoices are paid in full, subject to a $5,000 minimum fee per case. Invoices are due 30 days after submission.
Available Upon Request