Matt Mietzel’s comprehensive experience provides him with an intuitive ability to advise his clients on the management and protection of their intellectual property through even the trickiest of legal situations. Matt has extensive experience in preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications, primarily in the mechanical and electromechanical arts. Beyond patent prosecution, Matt also has experience in the preparation of validity and infringement opinions, trademark prosecution, licensing, IP due diligence, and litigation matters. “In my practice, I find that compared to other patent attorneys, I have more of a genuine understanding of my clients’ problems and struggles, enabling me to advise them authentically and work with them on a deeper level.” – Matt Mietzel Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Matt was an engineer in the automotive industry for over seven years. Whereas some engineers work solely in manufacturing or design, Matt gained experience in manufacturing, design, and research and development. Matt also has a deep understanding of the business needs of his clients, having earned a master’s degree in business administration. These experiences provide Matt with a strong foundation for advising clients on the management and protection of intellectual property. Matt was also a patent agent at a technology corporation where he learned first-hand about client expectations and how best to service clients. During his three years in that role, he prepared and prosecuted patent applications, led innovation workshops and patent design-around efforts, developed patent portfolio management strategies, and was involved in technology licensing matters. Matt has also served as acting in-house patent counsel for a Fortune 500 company managing a range of intellectual property matters. The combination of these diverse experiences provides Matt with an excellent understanding of the many aspects of intellectual property prosecution and intellectual property management. Outside of the office, Matt enjoys time with his family, hiking, and travelling.

Dean has experience litigating patent, trademark and trade secret cases in multiple jurisdictions including United States District Courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the Federal Circuit, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and state courts. He works with and has successfully protected many clients’ IP rights, including clients involved in bet-the-farm type litigation. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, domestic and foreign, medium to small businesses as well as individuals. He also prepares and prosecutes patent and trademark applications including appeals, inter party reviews (IPR), cancellation and opposition proceedings. He also counsels clients regarding IP related issues and prepares legal opinions including freedom to practice and invalidity opinions. Dean is a licensed attorney in Michigan and licensed as a patent attorney eligible to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is not licensed to practice in Delaware but can be admitted to practice pro hac vice in the Delaware courts. In addition to being selected three times as a “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America® he is also included in the 2015-2019 edition of Leading Lawyers at Lawyers.com® and selected by dbusiness Magazine as a 2015-2019 Top Lawyer. Other awards include: 2015-2019 IP Star by Managing IP Magazine; recognition by Acquisitions International; and by America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators. Dean has an AV (Preeminent) rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Dean’s publication, IP Strategies for Business Managers, provides practical advice for protecting IP and avoiding infringement. He contributed to the national publication, Inside the Minds: Litigation Strategies for Intellectual Property Cases (2012, Thomson Reuters) on topics including patent eligibility of software and business methods, trade secret case strategies, and discovery of electronically stored information (ESI). Dean is a frequent speaker on IP, including: IP Patent Camp at the MidMichigan Innovation Center (3 years); IP Webinar for VetBizCentral; IP Talk at TechTown Detroit; IP Talk at DC3S; and IP Talk – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about IP But Were Afraid to Ask through Midland Tomorrow in cooperation with Northwood University during Entrepreneurship Week. Dean brings an entrepreneurial spirit to his work and enjoys sharing in his clients’ successes. He is also committed to keeping open communication with his clients and is readily available to answer his client’s questions. In his spare time Dean enjoys traveling with his wife Laurie and two sons. He also enjoys running and working on his 1969 Dodge Charger RT SE. Dean is the inventor on four patents relating to an electronic securities trading system, including U.S. Patent Nos. 8,788,398, 8,175,956, 7,552,085 and 7,356,499.