Martin Zoltick was part of the first graduating class of Khoury College in 1983 with a BS in Computer Science. He says, “Back then, we had an older building where the computers were in the basement. Our lab was getting updated, but much of it was underground. When we wrote software, you’d go to the basement to submit it by typing into a terminal, which was connected to a mainframe computer. Sometime later the program was run, and if something was wrong, you’d have to start all over.”

Zoltick notes how much has changed from the College’s early years. “Being able to work on personal computers and seamlessly connect remotely – the evolution of technology has changed the way students can learn computer science. Beyond that, the importance and recognition of computer software and information systems technology has grown so substantially since the time I was studying at Northeastern. Like the shiny new building in West Village with more stature than our building back then. It was a small program with people primarily who wanted to study computers and become programmers. Just around the time I was graduating, students from other degree programs, like business, started thinking they should learn to program as software was starting to be used in all kinds of industries and fields.”

While studying at Northeastern, Zoltick had a co-op as a software engineer at several different companies, including Draper Labs, IBM, and Digital Equipment Corporation. At his co-op at Digital Equipment Corporation, he befriended an alum of Northeastern who was working at the company. “He had ideas about entrepreneurship, about starting a company that would focus on developing artificial intelligence technology.”

When Zoltick graduated, he worked at Data General as a software engineer and also pursued the AI startup with this fellow Northeastern alum. “In the context of starting the company and developing the business plan, we spoke with lawyers about names and protecting the technology. At the same time, at Data General, there had been legal issues with the software we were working with. Both experiences got me looking at what aspects of computers and software overlapped with the law. I got a book on it that piqued my interest. I applied to law school, got in, and decided to change my career path from software engineer to a lawyer whose focus would be computer technology and software.”

Thirty plus years later, Zoltick is a highly respected technology lawyer with Rothwell Figg, a firm based in Washington, DC. “Throughout my career, a lot of the technology I’ve worked on as a lawyer has related to computer tech and software, much of which now focuses on artificial intelligence and telecommunications. I work with companies to develop strategic plans to protect their technology and innovations, including applying for and obtaining patents, seeking copyright and trademark registrations, maintaining trade secrets, and counseling them on a wide variety of technology and intellectual property-related legal issues. I help my clients enforce their rights against companies that are infringing or violating their intellectual property rights and defend them when they are accused of wrongdoing. Lastly, I help companies handle transactions where they are acquiring tech, licensing tech, or raising money, and assist investors with due diligence review of technology and IP rights.”

In the past five years, Zoltick’s practice has included a focus on privacy and data protection. “It’s a timely topic now. It has a good cross section with technology and a lot of the areas that I’ve traditionally worked in as an IP and tech lawyer.”

The quality of the professors and the cutting-edge work that the college is publishing – the research groups are at a very high level. The school is leading the way in many important technology areas including AI and data privacy

Zoltick highlights three clients as particularly meaningful. “For twenty-five years, I’ve worked with one of the original developers of real-time operating systems software – Finite State Machine Labs. They were a company very involved in the open-source software community. They needed my help with navigating how to protect their technology and IP, while balancing that with providing open-source software to the community. I worked with them from an early stage and as they grew to be a market leader. I dealt with every legal aspect of their business.”

For the last ten years, Zoltick has worked to protect the technology and patents of Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunication company. Referencing the phone interview for this article, he says, “My work there relates to the tech we’re using right now on this call – 5G, etc.” He also represents RGF Environmental Group, an air, water, and food purification systems technology company. “Part of my interest is that I care a lot about the environment and global health. It was particularly important during COVID. Their devices to remove airborne pathogens pre-dated the pandemic – and they were then deployed around the world. I did the patent work to protect that technology.”

Zoltick is excited for the future of Khoury College and Northeastern University as a major research hub. “The quality of the professors and the cutting-edge work that the college is publishing – the research groups are at a very high level. The school is leading the way in many important technology areas including AI and data privacy. I’ve talked with current professors about this work. I see them publish and speak at conferences.” He’s proud to be a Northeastern alum. “When I was at Northeastern, people saw us as a small program. But now, Northeastern has elevated Khoury College to be on par with schools like MIT and Stanford.”

Reacting to the 40 for 40 selection, Zoltick says, “I’m proud to have been there at the beginning, and hopefully contributed to it over such a positive evolution in the last forty years. I keep in touch with the college and am glad to stay involved. From curriculum to professors to co-op jobs where you learn how to navigate the professional world, Northeastern provides relationships with companies and sets up students incredibly well once they get out in the real world. I credit a lot of my success to my experiences at Northeastern.”