Rachel Smith has a wide range of knowledge stemming from her extensive experience over the past two decades. With a degree in Electrical Engineering, she focuses on software, supplier, and medical device businesses, aiming to ensure that their IP protection aligns with their business needs and goals. Rachel is a registered patent attorney and focuses primarily on domestic and foreign patent prosecution in the electrical arts. Rachel consults clients from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She enjoys working closely with clients to counsel them on how to best protect their intellectual property based on their specific business goals. Rachel has a deep understanding of various technologies in mechanical and electrical arts. In particular, she has extensive experience prosecuting patent applications in consumer electronics, automotive, medical device, and network technologies. Her practice further includes drafting patentability, infringement, validity and freedom to operate opinions. Rachel’s practice also includes consulting clients on open source software license agreements. She works with clients to understand complex software licenses and copyright matters. Rachel has worked with the firm’s open source team to perform software audits on complex systems and has advised clients on software license obligations while assisting in compliance solutions. To compliment her client’s needs, Rachel also has experience preparing, reviewing, and negotiating agreements involving intellectual property, including licenses, confidentiality agreements, master services agreements, and others, with a focus on open source and indemnification provisions often included therein. Rachel received a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio Northern University. During law school Rachel was a member and officer of the Wayne State Intellectual Property Student Association (WIPSA) and earned the Silver Key Award for academic achievement. At Ohio Northern University she was active in several student groups holding numerous leadership positions. Rachel served as president of both the student chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and her social sorority. Prior to attending law school, Rachel gained electronics hardware and software experience while working as an intern at an avionics safety company in Columbus, OH. Rachel loves a good Disney Cruise (she's a Gold level member) and can be found on her Peloton bike.

James Bertino is an experienced patent attorney who prioritizes quality and high value results for his clients. James focuses his practice on domestic and foreign patent prosecution. He prepares, prosecutes, and advises on patents in several technical areas including the automotive, automation, and manufacturing industries. Specifically within the automotive industry, James has extensive experience in automotive technology relative to hybrid vehicles, powertrains, HVAC, safety systems, solar power, and plant automation. He counsels clients of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 500 Corporations to small start-ups, on a wide range of technologies. Because of James’s extensive engineering experience, James is technically proficient, being able to understand and put on paper what the invention is without having to rely solely on the inventor. He has extensive experience in novelty, validity, invalidity, state of the art, and clearance studies. As an experienced advisor, James counsels his clients honestly on their patent portfolio. In his practice, James conducts extensive research on existing technology to determine the white space within a specific technology market to ensure a client’s concept falls within the determined white space to recommend whether the client should pursue patent protection. James is also highly skilled at formulating opinions on the validity or invalidity of a particular patent during litigation proceedings, determining the current state of the art in a specific technology market, and formulating opinions on whether a client has the freedom to operate in a particular technology market. Prior to the legal profession, James worked for an automation manufacturer as a mechanical engineer. He was responsible for the mechanical design of powertrain assembly equipment. The design process included using computer aided design programs to generate the required mechanical drawings. James also worked for a large automotive OEM as a powertrain production supervisor. He was responsible for the daily operations of the department that produced the output shaft of the transmission. This included ensuring the efficiency and troubleshooting of the production machinery when a problem occurred. James is a graduate from the University of Toledo Law School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering. James is a registered patent attorney and a member of the bar for the State of Michigan and the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan. In his free time, James likes to spend time on the water in his boat. He also enjoys the non-motorized time on the water and is an experienced oarsman. In 2015, he competed and won a master’s national championship in rowing.

Alena Marconi is an experienced, hands-on patent prosecution attorney with an extensive background in chemical, materials, and environmental solutions sciences. She guides and advises her clients with high-quality legal advice and strategic thinking. 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 practice in Michigan and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Alena holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Materials Technology from Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic, as well as a Master of Science in Chemistry from Oakland University. Her undergraduate, graduate studies, and research focused on macromolecular chemistry, environmental technology, and toxicology. Ms. Vackova graduated magna cum laude from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in May 2012 with a Juris Doctor degree. During her law school studies, she earned five certificates of merit and served as an Assistant Board Editor on the Cooley Law School Law Review as well as a Secretary for the Student Intellectual Property Law Association and Veterans Organization. Besides English, Alena is fluent in Czech, Slovak, and has a working knowledge of German and additional Slavic languages. In her free time, she’s an avid photographer who loves to spend time with her family exploring Michigan and the rest of the world or running 5K races.

Isheeta Patel Laxmanan is an experienced patent attorney with a passion for providing her clients with high-quality, strategic intellectual property advice with an eye for detail and current technological trends. 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 extensively within a variety of industries, with an emphasis on technologies related to chemical engineering and advanced materials. Her prosecution and opinion experience is focused on advanced coatings, nanocomposites and composite systems, polymer chemistry and coagulants, heat transfer and thermal management materials, battery components and controls, catalyst structures, fluid flow control, and related coatings, additive manufacturing, paints, and specialty coatings, and consumer products. Isheeta provides reliable insight to clients regarding business-critical decisions such as whether to patent an inventive concept, whether they have freedom to operate, the validity of granted patents, and determining the state of the art and any white space in a specific technology market. Isheeta also has experience supporting intellectual property negotiations, settlements, and litigation. Isheeta previously served as a patent clerk with Honda Patents & Technologies North America and Ohio State’s Technology Commercialization Office. Before entering the intellectual property industry, she held engineering positions with Owens Corning developing wind turbine blade technology and with H.R. Technologies, Inc., a tier-two automotive materials supplier. Isheeta holds a Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where she served as Issue Editor for the technology journal I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society (now the Ohio State Technology Law Journal), as well as President of both the Intellectual Property Law Society and the South Asian Law Students Association. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Outside of Brooks Kushman, Isheeta is the current President of the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of Michigan and currently serving on the Board of Directors for SABA North America and SABA Michigan. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family on the lake, checking out new restaurants, and traveling (when it’s not football season). Although she attended Ohio State for law school, Isheeta is true to her undergraduate degree from Michigan and can regularly be found sporting University of Michigan gear, especially every Saturday of football season at the Big House with her husband watching the Wolverines play.

Bryan Hart combines his technical expertise and litigation experience to provide clients with strategic, forward-thinking patent counsel that anticipates both opportunities and challenges across a wide range of industries and technologies. Bryan Hart practices all areas of patent law, specializing in preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical, electrical, and software arts. He excels at mastering complex technical information while maintaining the big picture and communicating key concepts in a comprehensible, concise, and persuasive manner. His applications have covered artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, machine vision, object tracking for collision avoidance, seatbelt assemblies, airbag assemblies and deployment, vehicle crash testing, additive manufacturing, and automobile frames, among other areas. Bryan has extensive experience in patent litigation. He has participated in cases in federal district court, investigations before the International Trade Commission, and inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has experience with a wide variety of technologies, including LTE (long-term evolution) standards, in-dash GPS units, textiles, enterprise storage systems, mobile-phone operating systems, lottery-ticket printing, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) equipment, lithium-ion battery packs, 2D-to-3D conversion software, cloud computing, content distribution networks, piston solid lubricants, and prosthetic knee replacements. His litigation experience helps him keep a patent’s ultimate potential outcome-enforcement-in mind throughout the prosecution process. Bryan is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where he was an Articles Editor for the University of Chicago Review. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering where he earned his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, highest honors. He also serves as the secretary for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) and as a member of the Diversity in IP Law Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). In his free time, Bryan enjoys reading X-Men comics and taking his daughter to the local children’s science museum.

Mike Brodbine is an Executive Committee member and serves as the co-chair of the firm’s Patent Prosecution Group. He has over 20 years of experience working with global corporations on the management of patent portfolios. He counsels clients on all aspects of intellectual property matters, focusing not only on the U.S. patent landscape but also providing a global view for his clients. Mike understands the importance of effective intellectual property strategy in today’s highly-competitive business environment. He helps clients develop effective IP strategies to secure and maintain patent right for their businesses to plan and move ahead. He often consults with management and corporate counsel to build understanding between the scientist and engineers and their companies` decision makers regarding the development, application, and potential impact of new technologies in the market and within the corporate patent portfolio. Mike also has extensive experience advising clients on commercialization activities and he routinely provides clearance, infringement, validity, and state-of-the-art opinions. He has filed and prosecuted thousands of U.S. and foreign patent applications on a variety of technologies including aerospace, display panel technology, chemical coatings, plastic packaging, PET bottling, catalysts, fabric treatment, building products, automotive interior and body components, and vehicle safety systems. Ongoing dialog with clients is very important to Mike. He takes a proactive approach to ensure that lines of communication are always open, clients are kept up-to-date on the status of a project, and questions and concerns that may arise are anticipated and answered. His close working relationship with clients has led him to serve on several of his clients’ patent review and investigation committees. He has also fulfilled the role of acting chief patent counsel for one of the firm’s larger clients. Mike is a strong advocate for continuing legal education. He leads the firm’s claim drafting class that trains Brooks Kushman patent attorneys at all levels. In addition to his internal efforts, he is also is an instructor for the Patent Resources Group patent workshops. The program is targeted toward those that have less than three years’ experience in drafting patent applications. The course is valuable for private or corporate practitioners with some patent experience who desire to polish their patent drafting skills. Mike is also an adjunct professor at a local law school.

David Syrowik is an experienced patent attorney who takes a client-centered approach to his practice. David Syrowik never forgets the importance of the client in the attorney-client relationship. David welcomes any opportunity to bring inventors directly into the patent prosecution and opinion process, based on his belief that lawyers can learn a great deal from their clients. David takes on the role of student when working with clients, absorbing everything that they can teach him about their work and industry so he can better describe their inventions in patent applications and obtain the broadest possible protection. He also relishes the enthusiasm clients bring to their work, saying it is what makes his work so enjoyable. David takes a similar approach to working with patent examiners. He sees patent prosecutions as a win-win negotiation, not as an all-out battle with the US Patent and Trademark Office. He is willing to work for as long as it takes with patent examiners to gain the broadest possible protection for his clients. David has authored numerous scholarly articles in the emerging field of computer law. He also teaches on the subject as an adjunct professor at University of Detroit-Mercy Law School through the Intellectual Property Law Institute. David believes that these endeavors make him a better lawyer because they ensure that he stays at the cutting edge in intellectual property. David is committed to the idea that lawyers should give back to their communities and is active in numerous professional and civic organizations.

Christopher Smith is a distinguished intellectual property attorney specializing in patent litigation, IP counseling, licensing, and patent and trademark prosecution, with extensive experience representing Fortune 500 companies and startups across diverse industries. Christopher Smith is a highly regarded intellectual property attorney, recognized for his work in IP litigation, especially in patent litigation. His practice encompasses patent and trademark prosecution and the preparation of complex invalidity and infringement opinions. In 2024, Chris was honored with the prestigious Law360 MVP Award, an accolade awarded to only six IP attorneys nationwide, highlighting his exceptional influence and impact within the IP law community. Chris is a registered patent attorney authorized to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He represents clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups, leveraging a comprehensive understanding of industries including automotive (notably infotainment), medical devices, internet technologies (such as content delivery networks), and telecommunications (including fiber optics). Chris’s background in patent prosecution deepens his litigation acumen, enabling him to analyze patent file histories with precision, which is invaluable in shaping claim construction and invalidity arguments. His litigation success is rooted in both his technical expertise and extensive experience with trial teams, previously honed during his time at Kirkland and Ellis in Los Angeles. Chris is an active speaker at a number of major IP conferences, frequently sharing his insights on emerging issues in intellectual property law, offering valuable perspectives on cutting-edge topics and best practices. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from UCLA. His early judicial externship with the Honorable R. Gary Klausner in the Central District of California offered him a unique perspective on federal judiciary processes, which continues to inform his strategic approach in litigation. Outside the courtroom, Chris is dedicated to family and leisure pursuits, enjoying fishing, swimming with his kids, bowling, historical autograph collecting and working on his golf game.

Mr. Runk provides legal services to clients in all of the intellectual property (IP) fields which include patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights. The services primarily encompass originating intellectual property portfolios, managing those portfolios, and enforcing a client's IP against infringers. His IP services also include reviewing the IP rights of others that may pose some level of risk to a client's business plans and providing advice about the risks. Mr. Runk works in state courts, in U.S. federal courts, and teams up with foreign attorneys for international cases. Mr. Runk's primary focus is on the fields of electrical, mechanical, signal processing, control systems, information management and processing systems, computer hardware, and software technologies. Mr. Runk has worked with a wide range of technologies such as complex medical apparatus for diabetes control, catheters for atrial mapping and ablation, valve systems, lighting systems for businesses, and inventory control systems using radio frequency identification. Mr. Runk provides IP services to businesses of all sizes from start-up companies to multi-billion dollar companies, and to individuals. Mr. Runk is a registered patent attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and as such is licensed to represent clients in all aspects of patents and trademarks at the USPTO. Mr. Runk has prepared, negotiated, and finalized many intellectual property licenses and settlement agreements. Additionally, Mr. Runk has also performed the due diligence necessary in IP portfolio acquisition or divestiture which includes confirming clear title, maintenance issues, trademark use issues, and many other issues. Mr. Runk has also written and negotiated the intellectual property provisions for the contracts in acquisitions and divestitures. Many of these contracts involve complex contractual provisions for ownership and contingencies. Mr. Runk has also been actively engaged in intellectual property litigation including trial to a jury. In foreign countries, Mr. Runk has managed patent and trademark oppositions in Europe and in Asian countries.

John Halan is an IP litigator who has extensive knowledge in patent, trade secret, and related commercial litigation. John M. Halan has been practicing with the intellectual property law firm of Brooks Kushman P.C. since 1990, where he has been a shareholder for many years and is the head of the firm`s trade secrets group. As a litigator, he specializes in high-stakes intellectual property litigation, including patent, trade secret, and related commercial litigation. He has tried many cases as lead or team trial counsel and has also successfully argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He also has considerable experience handling various matters before the PTAB, including inter partes reviews and appeals. In addition to litigation, John has negotiated and prepared numerous intellectual property and commercial agreements, including patent and technology license agreements. He has also prepared many infringement and validity patent opinions and has been called upon to act as a patent dispute mediator. As a licensed professional engineer, prior to attending law school and joining Brooks Kushman, John managed a number of industrial construction projects from initial design through to completion.