About.

Five careers, one problem. I did not arrive at AI governance from a single direction — engineering, cryptology, patent practice, the classroom, and an executive seat each taught me a language the others do not speak. Standing in the space between them is the work.

A Translator Between the Lab and the Boardroom.

Most AI programs stall in the same place: engineers who cannot read the regulation, lawyers who cannot read the architecture, and executives who need one answer they can sign. I spent a decade prosecuting and litigating patents in the technologies underneath today's AI systems — signal processing, semiconductors, cryptography — before governance was a job title.

Most lawyers stop at the legal requirement. Most consultants stop at the ISO clause. The work I do continues into the governance process, the technical rationale, the policy language, the evidence an auditor will expect, and how the board should oversee all of it.

Working at the intersection of governance, innovation, and trust.

The Long Version.

2026 – Present

Chief AI Officer

XelaOS

First CAIO at the AI integration layer for healthcare. Owns model oversight, governance frameworks, and the compliance backbone as clinical deployments expand.

2026 – Present

Chief AI & Strategy Officer

Immersive Solutions Group Inc.

Guides AI strategy, the governance framework, responsible deployment practices, strategic partnerships, and the innovation roadmap at a global intelligence company building technology to raise human intelligence.

2026 – Present

Adjunct Professor of Law

Texas A&M University School of Law

Teaching AI Governance & Policy beginning Fall 2026.

2022 – Present

Equity Member

Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC

Head of the firm’s Intellectual Property Section. Practice spans AI governance, prosecution, litigation, licensing, and post-grant proceedings across AI, blockchain, semiconductors, VR and AR, VTOL, and finance.

2019 – 2022

Member

Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC
2016 – 2019

Associate

Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC
2015 – 2016

EVP of Licensing & IP Counsel

Marathon Patent Group, Inc.

Managed multinational litigation across the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and China — multiple German injunctions, all claims upheld in a German nullity hearing, simultaneous saisie-contrefaçon in France, and defeated Italian declaratory actions.

2014 – 2015

SVP of Licensing

Marathon Patent Group, Inc.

Licensing campaigns across a broad range of portfolios — licensee identification, deal structure, and negotiation.

2013 – 2014

Director

IP Navigation Group, LLC

Patent monetization strategy, license negotiation, and portfolio diligence alongside inventors, experts, and counsel.

2012 – 2013

Associate

Friedman, Suder & Cooke, P.C.

Patent litigation across semiconductors, power electronics, mobile devices, telecommunications, CAD software, medical devices, and streaming. Part of the trial team that secured a multi-million-dollar award in power electronics.

2009 – 2012

Law Clerk

Friedman, Suder & Cooke, P.C.
2008 – 2009

Director of Intellectual Property

NeXplore Corporation

Managed patent, trademark, and copyright portfolios and worked with technical staff to develop future IP assets.

2006 – 2008

Technical Consultant

Jackson Walker L.L.P.
2006

Senior Systems Engineer

Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
2004 – 2005

DSP & Communications Engineer

Rincon Research Corporation

Custom signal processing and digital communications systems, image processing, and FPGA-based designs.

2003 – 2004

Signal Processing Engineer

SAIC
Service
2004 – 2008

Cryptologic Officer (1645)

U.S. Navy Reserve

Technical expertise and training on signal processing and space-related topics for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and Naval Security Group Reserve. Honorably discharged.

2003 – 2004

Cryptologic Technician Technical

U.S. Navy Reserve
Education
2026

Post Graduate Program in AI & Machine Learning

The University of Texas

Artificial intelligence and machine learning for business applications — models, deployment, and the decisions leaders have to make about both.

2026

Chief AI Officer Program (pilot cohort)

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

Accepted to the inaugural cohort, beginning June 2026.

2026

Professional Certificate (in progress)

MIT Professional Education

Twelve-month Digital Transformation in the AI Age program — Applied Agentic AI for Organizational Transformation, Applied Generative AI, Innovative Leadership, Leadership for the AI Age, and Cultural Awareness for Global Business.

2012

Juris Doctor

Texas A&M University School of Law

National Order of Barristers.

2004

B.S., Electrical Engineering; Minor, Mathematics

New Mexico State University

Klipsch Electrical and Computer Engineering Scholarship. University Senator, College of Engineering Representative.

Admissions
State Bar of Texas#24068961
U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeReg. #76,780
U.S. District Courts — Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals — Federal Circuit
Certifications & Programs
AICT Certified Shadow AI Practitioner
IAPP — AI Governance Professional (AIGP) certification training completed
The University of Texas — Post Graduate Program in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning for Business Applications
Duke University, Fuqua School of Business — Chief AI Officer Program, pilot cohort2026
MIT Professional Education — Digital Transformation in the AI Age2026
Honors
Texas Super Lawyer — Intellectual Property, Super Lawyers2026
Stand-Out Lawyers, Thomson Reuters2025
Ones to Watch, Texas' Best Lawyers2023–24
Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers2020–23
IAM Strategy 300 — World's Leading IP Strategists2015–16, 2020
Top Attorney — IP, Fort Worth Magazine2017–25
Outstanding Leadership Contribution, ABA Section of IP Law2014
Raytheon Achievement Award2006
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal2005
Top Selectee, Direct Commissioning Board, U.S. Navy Reserve2004
Associations
State Bar of Texas, Emerging Technology Committee2025
State Bar of Texas, IP Law Section — Membership Committee Chair2023
Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow 2020, Life Fellow2024
Tarrant County Bar Foundation, Fellow2019–20
Eldon G. Mahon American Inn of Court, Barrister2017–20
Tarrant County Bar Association, IP Section Vice-Chair2012–13
Hon. Barbara M. G. Lynn American Inn of Court, Associate2013–15
The Order of Barristers
Community
Good Shepherd Rescue of Texas, Foster Volunteer2016–Present
Civil Air Patrol, McKinney Composite Squadron — Captain2024
TechFortWorth, MCrew Mentor2022–23
Child Care Associates, Board Vice Chair2018–22
Leadership ISD, Fellow2017–18

Start Now — Protect Your Customers and Your Organization.

You do not need a finished program to begin. Governance can start with what you already have today — policies, contracts, and workflows. Let's build a plan that reduces risk, protects the people who trust you with their data, and accelerates responsible innovation.

Telephone
(877) AI-CAIO-1
877-242-2461
Email
rick@sanchize.com
Engagements
Flexible models to fit your needs