Best Lawyers in Michigan, United States for Patent Law
Practice Area Overview
A patent is a contract between an inventor and the government. The inventor provides a complete description of the invention to the public in an application for patent. This benefits the public by providing knowledge of the invention for use as a foundation for additional innovation. In return, if the invention is new (as compared to everything known to the public prior to the invention), a patent is issued. This patent gives the inventor a right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the patented invention throughout the United States, and from importing the invention into the United States, for the life of the patent, usually 20 years from filing.
Grant of a patent does NOT itself give an inventor a right to exploit the patented invention – it only gives the inventor a right to exclude others from practicing the invention. For example, if an inventor makes an improvement to a previously patented machine, and gets a patent, the inventor can prevent the owner of the original patent from using the improvement. However, the inventor may not be able to exploit the improvement itself, at least until the original patent expires, because such exploitation might infringe that original patent.
Title 35 of the United States Code (the “Patent Statutes”) set forth the standards and procedures for obtaining patents. Patents are granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency of the Department of Commerce.
The following items are patentable under these statutes:
- Processes: new methods of doing something
- Machines: engines, machinery, instruments, gadgets, etc.
- Articles of manufacture: circuits, tools, structures made of metal, plastics, ceramics, etc.
- Compositions of matter: new pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, naturally occurring substances when substantially purified, DNA sequences, biological materials, e.g. bacteria, viruses, proteins and protein fragments, monoclonal antibodies, epitopes, and vectors.
- Improvements in any of the above
- Living organisms: genetically altered plants and animals.
- Computer programs: alone and in conjunction with other equipment.
- Business methods: methods for doing business, but not those solely directed to patenting abstract ideas.
- Designs: ornamental aspects of articles of manufacture.
- Non-patentable items include: nebulous concepts or ideas, laws of nature (e.g., gravity), mathematical algorithms alone (but computer-implemented mathematical algorithms producing a concrete, useful, and tangible result are patentable subject matter), and purely mental processes.
A key element to effective patent protection is writing patent claims that define the invention as broadly as possible, but without overlapping prior art that could make the patent invalid. This is generally best done by someone with skill and experience in patent practice, so consulting with a patent attorney is a wise choice.
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Mr. Amburn concentrates his practice on intellectual property protection and litigation. He prepares and prosecutes patent and trademark applications, drafts intellectual property opinions and agreements, and counsels clients in obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights. He works on a wide variety of technologies including mechanical, software, and business methods. Mr. Amburn has over fourteen years of litigation experience including first chair jury trial, mediation, arbitration,...
Frank’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation. Frank has successfully tried patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright cases in Federal Courts nationwide, the Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Federal Circuits, and the International Trade Commission. As a registered patent attorney, Frank is authorized to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Frank has been lead counsel for a wide variety of clients, from individuals to major corporations, in intellec...
John S. Artz, a partner with Dickinson Wright PLLC has more than twenty-five years of experience and practices in all areas of intellectual property litigation. He also has extensive experience with the acquisition, management, and prosecution of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret assets. He serves and has served as lead counsel for many companies in federal courts across the country, including the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. John also has served as lead counsel in 25+ IPRs ...
Mark is one of the founders of the firm and has been with the firm as a Shareholder since 1983. He has over 35 years of IP litigation experience. He has extensive experience in dealing with complex litigation matters in all technology areas and has tried cases relating to patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals throughout the country and in a number of international forums. Mark takes a special interest in his client’s I...
Tim Eagle focuses his practice in intellectual property, e-commerce and litigation, including commercial/business, technology, and product liability. Tim is admitted to practice in all federal and state courts in Michigan and Ohio, the United States Courts of Appeals sitting in Cincinnati, Ohio and Washington, D.C., as well as the United States Supreme Court. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office. Tim is a frequent speaker on issues such as e-c...
Mr. Fishman has over 25 years of experience in trademark law, related licensing and litigation and other disciplines of Intellectual Property law. He has substantial experience in a wide range of industries, including banking, insurance, automotive, packaged foods, contract furniture, publishing, sports, entertainment, building products, certification programs, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, restaurant, medical products, and scientific and laboratory products. He manages ...
Julie Greenberg is a partner at Fishman Stewart PLLC. She has more than 25 years of experience in trademark and copyright prosecution and protection. Much of her career has involved federal court litigation with particular emphasis on obtaining preliminary injunctive relief. She has had extensive experience counseling clients in infringement matters involving trademarks and copyrights. Julie handles all levels of domestic and international trademark protection and prosecution, including at th...
John’s practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property law, including domestic and international patent acquisition and maintenance, trademark and copyright registration; intellectual property enforcement and litigation; trade secret protection; high-profile product and trademark clearances; large scale due diligence efforts; joint venture and commercial agreements; and licensing. In his practice, he counsels and represents a number of Fortune 500 companies, as well as a numbe...
Jennifer Hetu’s practice focuses on trademark law and brand protection. She advises businesses of all sizes on a wide range of trademark matters in the U.S. and international markets, collaborates with foreign law firms on worldwide trademark protection, and provides counseling regarding U.S. use and registration. She also counsels businesses in the rapidly growing cannabis industry on how to navigate trademark protection strategies in the current landscape. She is a former trademark at...
Bill helps businesses protect their brands, inventions and copyrights to build business and avoid being sued. With more than 30 years experience, Bill has extensive knowledge and expertise in all aspects of patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright matters including litigation in a broad range of industries. He evaluates patents, trademarks, and copyrights along with advising clients on the protection of inventions, trademarks, and copyrightable subject matter. Bill is a highly sought-af...
Richard Jones is Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Licensing Practice Group and handles a wide range of intellectual property matters. Over the last few years, he has led on the following issues: representation of OEM in connection with divestiture of Military related IP assets; representation of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in connection with Global Vehicle Design and Assembly Agreement; representation of a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier in Divestiture of IP Assets; prepar...
Mark Jotanovic, a registered patent attorney, practices out of the firm’s Troy office. He focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution involving electrical, electro-mechanical, and software matters. He has worked in a wide range of electrical and computer technologies, including artificial intelligence (focusing on image recognition, machine learning, and neural networks), autonomous vehicles, cloud computing, smart home environments, and product desig...
Ms. Kornfield assists clients in intellectual property matters, including information systems acquisition, copyrights, trademarks, e-commerce, noncompete agreements and other post employment restrictions, and protection against economic espionage. She handles transactional and litigation matters and has been lead counsel in national intellectual property litigation. She has been selected as an expert witness, mediator, and arbitrator in intellectual property disputes. She serves on an Advisor...
Doug LaLone is a partner at the firm. He serves as chair of the firm’s Strategic IP Practice Group which counsels start-up companies, PE, VC and IB firms on intellectual property strategies, due diligence and portfolio management concerns. Doug works on both the buy and sell side of M&A transactions. Doug has also successfully prosecuted and defended over 100 different Intellectual Property suits in numerous federal and state courts, and appeals before the Sixth Circuit Court of App...
Marc is the Co-Chair of Brooks Kushman's intellectual property litigation practice. He has been instrumental in building, developing, and growing the team. Throughout his career, Marc has successfully tried patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright cases in Federal Courts nationwide. Marc has successfully argued appeals before the Federal Circuit including a leading decision on 101 jurisprudence, Ancora Techs., Inc. v. HTC Americas, Inc. , 908 F.3d 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Marc, as lead cou...
Michael MacCallum is a member of Dickinson Wright’s Intellectual Property practice group. He focuses his practice on domestic and international intellectual property protection, counseling, and enforcement. Having clients ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to independent inventors, Mike has a depth of experience in all aspects of patent protection and enforcement. His focus is on a wide range of mechanical and computer technologies, including artificial intelligence (improvements to ...
Scott McBain is a member of Dickinson Wright’s Intellectual Property practice group. He concentrates his practice on domestic and international IP procurement and IP counseling, transactions and strategies for the protection and enforcement of IP assets. Scott has been an IP attorney for over 25 years, doing significant licensing work alongside other complex technology transfers, including IP due diligence and merger, acquisition, divestiture and IP support. As a former attorney at Delp...
As a lifelong auto enthusiast, Steven has never been far from the action. Having worked as a senior project engineer at General Motors, representing clients in the automotive industry seemed like a natural next step. He has served as in-house patent counsel for a Tier 1 supplier, as well as acting as primary outside counsel for a number of Tier 1 and lower Tier suppliers in private practice. Now, having gained decades of experience representing automotive industry entities, clients look to hi...
Richard Rattner has more than thirty years of experience in real estate law, with specialties in real estate acquisition, sale and loan transactions, land use development, zoning, and corporate law. Mr. Rattner is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. He served on the Governing Council of the Real Property Law Section (RPLS) of the State Bar of Michigan and remains an active parti...
Prior to beginning his legal career, Mr. Rettig worked in the automotive industry and held various product engineering and sales positions. He joined an intellectual property law firm in 1988, and concentrated his practice on obtaining and enforcing patents, trademarks and copyrights for clients in various fields, with a particular emphasis in the automotive industry. After practicing for 11 years, he joined a Tier I automotive supplier as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secreta...
Paul has extensive experience in in all facets of intellectual property law. Paul’s practice involves assisting individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies in building and managing IP portfolios. He provides counseling with regard to invention development and harvesting, worldwide enforcement, patent and trademark procurement, intellectual property landscaping, clearance, and litigation matters, working to craft strategies that enable clients to work toward their unique goa...
Hope Shovein focuses her practice on the procurement and enforcement of trademark rights. Hope`s work encompasses trademark clearance searches and opinions, prosecuting trademark applications, managing domestic and international trademark portfolios, drafting and negotiating agreements, preparing and responding to cease and desist letters, and representing clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as litigation. Hope specializes in...
Ms. Slaven focuses her practice on intellectual property law, particularly in the area of patents. She has significant experience in the chemical arts, especially material science and metallurgy, as well as the mechanical and electrical arts, particularly inventions related to the automotive industry. On behalf of the firm’s clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual entrepreneurs, she handles patent application preparation and prosecution, including original filings, res...
I am a founding and managing member of my law firm, which specializes in intellectual property. Fishman Stewart applies a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary approach to maximize the scope of intellectual property protection and beneficial usage. I have a master's degree in engineering and an English degree. I am a frequent speaker on intellectual property protection and enforcement. My presentations have included audiences associated with many organizations including universities, bar associat...
Kameron received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Dayton where he also played football for the Flyers. While at Dayton, Kameron worked with the Chemistry Department where he created and maintained chemical compositions used by the University’s laboratory classes. At Wayne State University Law School, Kameron received the Gold Key Award for exemplary academic achievement and the William Davidson Endowed Scholarship awarded to a law school student who participated in NC...
Alena’s practice focuses on domestic and foreign patent prosecution in the chemical, materials science, green tech, and mechanical arts. She counsels clients of all sizes in a wide range of industries including automotive, chemical, horticultural applications, environmental remediation, green technologies, alternative energy generation, industrial processes, medical devices, polymers, coatings, fuel cells, batteries, catalytic converters, packaging, and additives. Alena is admitted to p...
Chelsea focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation with a focus on patent, trademark, trade dress, unfair competition, and copyright litigation. Her experience also includes representation of trademark owners in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as counseling clients on clearance, prosecution, false advertising, enforcement of trademarks and copyrights, and counseling on domain name issues and license agreements. Chelsea...
Isheeta focuses her practice on the preparation and prosecution of domestic patent applications in the chemical engineering and materials arts. Isheeta also has experience in advising her clients on intellectual property strategies by providing opinions on whether they have freedom to operate and by assessing the validity of patents. She has experience working with clients of various sizes, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups. Isheeta has multi-faceted experience working ext...
Kristyn Webb advises clients on various aspects of intellectual property law including litigation of patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright matters. Her practice also includes trademark and copyright registration and enforcement. Before joining Fishman Stewart, Kristyn clerked for Justice Kurtis T. Wilder at the Michigan Supreme Court and for Judge Michael J. Riordan at the Michigan Court of Appeals. After graduating Magna cum laude from Loyola New Orleans College of Law, she became a...
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