Sanum is a registered patent agent and supports the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the chemical, medical device, and pharmaceutical areas. He also reviews licensing agreements, evaluates intellectual property portfolios, performs due diligence, and supports litigation matters in both the patent and trademark space.

Sanum worked at two labs while at UC Berkeley. In the Pines Lab, he managed legal and administrative work with the UC Berkeley Patent Office to prepare provisional applications for two new technologies related to NMR technology.

In the Somorjai Lab, Sanum assembled and disassembled electrochemical cells in a glovebox and coated materials with thin layers of platinum and titanium.