Mr. Mitchell focuses his practice on intellectual property procurement, licensing and enforcement in the areas of consumer products, automotive products, life sciences and medical devices. He has represented biochemical producers, manufacturers of food products, sporting goods and building products, food service franchisors, consumer product companies, medical device manufacturers, automotive parts suppliers, clothing manufacturers, national consumer products’ retailers and online service providers.
Mr. Mitchell counsels clients in adopting and leveraging intellectual property beginning with the earliest phases of product development and continuing beyond commercialization. He has significant experience in the areas of patent, trademark and copyright procurement and litigation, including administrative proceedings. He frequently handles the international procurement of intellectual property, including PCT applications before the World Intellectual Property Organization. Mr. Mitchell also regularly assists clients in identifying and avoiding potential entanglements with the intellectual property rights of others.
Education & Credentials
Education
Kenyon College
B.A., Biology, 1991- Merit List
University of Cincinnati
J.D., 1994- William Howard Taft College of Law (Honor's List)
Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Grand Rapids Magazine
- "Top Lawyers," Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law, 2020
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Litigation - Intellectual Property, 2024
Prominent Assignments
Mr. Mitchell’s practice regularly involves litigation, and he has handled numerous copyright, trademark and patent infringement lawsuits, representing the interests of plaintiffs as well as defendants.
Mr. Mitchell's industry experience includes working in a research capacity with the UpJohn Company in the department of Bioprocess Research and Development.
Mr. Mitchell is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Professional Involvement
- Intellectual Property Owners Association, Member Counterfeiting and Piracy Committee
- International Trade Association, Member
Publications/Presentations
- Author, ""THUMS UP" - and down - to United States trademark registration challenges based on "foreign" marks," The Trademark Lawyer, Issue 4, September 2022
- Claiming Pitfalls in Bioinformatics, The SciTech Lawyer Volume 4, Number 4 2008
- Saving Money on Intellectual Property. Practically., MichBIO LINK March 2010
- Inside the Minds: The Impact of Recent Patent Law Cases and Developments, Aspatore Publishing (division of Thomson Reuters) 2011 - Chapter author for 2012 edition
- A Rise in Patent Litigation Among Telecoms?, Bloomberg Law Reports 2010