John C. Stolpa — General Counsel

As general counsel, John Stolpa provides legal advice and counsel to the laboratory on the development and administration of policy, compliance with the prime contract, procurement and intellectual property issues, employment issues, and other legal and management concerns.

He also serves as corporate secretary and provides counsel to the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC (Alliance), the managing and operating contractor of NREL. Prior to being named general counsel, Stolpa was NREL’s deputy general counsel, providing counsel on all legal and compliance matters confronted by the laboratory as well as assisting with the management of the Office of General Counsel. He joined NREL in 2008 as senior intellectual property counsel and later served as associate general counsel of intellectual property.

Before joining NREL, Stolpa was in private legal practice as a registered patent attorney focused primarily on intellectual property and transactional law. His prior legal experience included positions with Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett, and Dunner LLP; 3M Innovative Properties Company; and Sheridan Ross, PC. Stolpa also previously investigated the molecular mechanisms of lymphocyte signal transduction at the University of Colorado and National Jewish Health.

He has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Colorado College and a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Colorado. Stolpa obtained his doctorate of law at the University of Minnesota Law School and is admitted to practice law in the states of Colorado and California and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.