Dickinson Wright’s IP litigation practice group co-chair named a ‘Michigan Go To Lawyer’ by Michigan Lawyers Weekly

John S. Artz, a member partner in the Ann Arbor office of Dickinson Wright PLLC and co-chair of the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice group, has been named an inaugural Michigan Go To Lawyer in business law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.  The legal trade publication launched the new editorial program to recognize lawyers across the state who are leaders in a particular field of law, with business law being the first category announced. Artz’s Go To Lawyer profile can be viewed here.

A “Michigan Go To Lawyer” is defined as:

• An expert in his or her field, well-versed in the nuances of the case law, statutes and regulations clients will encounter.
• Experienced, with a record of success in many cases and/or transactions.
• A lawyer to whom other lawyers make referrals because of his or her expertise and accomplishments.
• A lawyer who can think creatively and identify all options for a client.
• A lawyer you would name when a friend needs legal help.
• A lawyer you might call yourself if you needed legal help in his or her field of expertise.

Artz has more than 27 years of experience covering all areas of intellectual property litigation, in addition to extensive involvement with the acquisition, management, and prosecution of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret assets. Artz has served as lead counsel for Fortune 50 companies, Tier 1 auto suppliers, large health insurers, and popular consumer brands in federal courts across the country, including the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He has also been lead counsel in 25+ IPRs before the Patent Office.

One of Artz’s signature accomplishments involves the representation of an individual inventor in a patent infringement action against a national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (Hitkansut LLC, Acceledyne Technologies, Ltd, LLC v. United States). He served as lead trial counsel in a four-week bench trial in the Court of Federal Claims, resulting in a finding of patent infringement and damages against the U.S. Government. Artz not only led the winning effort, he also secured a $4.38 million fee award, which was the first award of its kind in a patent infringement suit against the Federal Government. In May 2020, the Federal Circuit issued a written opinion fully affirming the fee award, creating a new body of jurisprudence to assist undersized patent holders in lawsuits against the U.S. Government.

Early in his career, Artz appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in the seminal TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., (2001) which addressed the interplay between patent and trade dress rights. In its decision, the Court affirmed that a functional design cannot be trademarked and that a patented design is inherently presumed to be functional. Artz was second chair to his attorney father and jointly wrote all of the briefs for the case – an accomplishment coming less than ten years out of law school. 

In addition to the Go To lawyer honor, Artz is ranked by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Intellectual Property, 2017-2020; has been named a Best Lawyers in America® in Patent Law, 2020-2021; an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property since 2016; and was listed as a DBusiness Magazine Top Lawyer multiple years. 

Committed to his profession, Artz is currently a co-chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan, and a past President of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, having served as its Treasurer and on its Board of Advisors as well. He is also a member of the Michigan IP Inn of Court, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Intellectual Property Owners Association and International Masters of Gaming Law.

Artz began his career in Chicago before moving to a Michigan IP boutique firm and subsequently forming Artz and Artz with his father—a law practice they ran together for nearly 10 years. Joining Dickinson Wright PLLC in 2007, Artz is the presiding officer of the firm’s Governing Board, in addition to serving as Practice Group C0-Chair–IP litigation for 100+ IP attorneys in the firm’s practice.  He holds a Juris Doctor from Detroit College of Law (now affiliated with Michigan State University) and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan, where he ran track as an NCAA collegiate athlete.