Tate is the managing partner of the Rochester office and a registered patent attorney who counsels clients on domestic and foreign utility patent prosecution, plant patents, plant variety certificates, interferences, reexaminations, reissues, foreign oppositions, licensing, noninfringement and validity opinions, and patent litigation.

He has handled legal matters in a variety of technologies, with particular emphasis in biotechnology, molecular biology, plants, agricultural technology, medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, membrane technology, and medical devices.

In the botanical and agricultural technology areas, Tate has broad experience in patent prosecution, plant patenting, and plant variety protection, for crops, ornamental plants, genetically modified plants, plant-breeding technologies, agricultural compositions, plant varieties, various food-related technologies (e.g., food compositions, health and functional foods, food additives, food-related products for treatment of human diseases, and animal feed compositions), farm equipment and implements, and opinions, patent disputes, and litigation for major crops.

Tate has presented to numerous groups on topics related to intellectual property law, including diagnostic methods patents, plant protection, subject matter eligibility for biotechnology inventions, patent legislation, promulgation of new patent rules, Patent and Trademark Office procedures, patent prosecution strategies, and post-issuance procedures and strategies.

His technical training is in biology, botany, agriculture, genetics, and organic chemistry. As a graduate student, he conducted and published research related to quantitative traits in soybean.

• Best Lawyers in America®: Litigation – Intellectual Property (2024-2026)
• IAM Patent 1000: Individuals: Prosecution: Recommended (2024); Bronze (2025)
• Recognized as an Upstate New York Rising Star for Intellectual Property, Law & Politics Magazine (2013-2015)