Pad Alce is the founder of AI Patent Law, a boutique patent law firm built specifically to serve the next generation of AI-first startups. As an investor with Duke Capital Partners and a recognized authority in AI patent strategy, Pad has secured several hundred patents for cutting-edge technologies and helped startup clients raise over $2 billion in venture funding—with $4 billion+ in exits to date.
Before the wave of mainstream AI adoption, Pad positioned his firm to become the go-to IP partner for founders building with machine learning, LLMs, robotics, and software infrastructure. Today, AI Patent Law supports ~60 AI-native startups, including multiple unicorns and high-growth ventures.
Pad holds an engineering degree from N.C. State, a J.D./M.B.A. from Campbell University, and a Master of Laws in Law & Entrepreneurship from Duke University. He’s passionate about helping founders protect what makes them unique—while building IP portfolios that attract capital and strengthen long-term defensibility.