Three Attorneys from Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione’s Ann Arbor Office Recognized by Michigan Super Lawyers

September 29, 2008

Steven L. Oberholtzer and Eric J. Sosenko, shareholders in the Ann Arbor office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., have been named Michigan Super Lawyers for 2008 in the practice area of Intellectual Property law in the third annual survey conducted by the publication Law & Politics. James K. Cleland, also a shareholder, was named a Michigan Rising Star, which recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state who are 40 years old or younger, or have been practicing for 10 years or less.

Mr. Oberholtzer, Managing Partner of Brinks’ Ann Arbor office, focuses on patent and trademark counseling, corporate intellectual property policy development, technology licensing, joint development and joint venture relationship agreements, United States Patent and Trademark Office administrative proceedings, including interferences, re-examinations, re-issues, trademark oppositions, patent application preparation and prosecution, providing opinions regarding infringement risks, design-around projects and patentability and administration of corporate intellectual property portfolios. He has experience in the mechanical and electro-mechanical disciplines, with particular emphasis on automotive industry issues, and has additional significant experience in technology areas, including medical devices, lasers, fiber optics, optical devices and heavy industrial equipment. Mr. Oberholtzer is the author of a primer on intellectual property entitled, The Basic Principles of Intellectual Property Law. 

Mr. Oberholtzer is involved with civic and professional activities including the Washtenaw County Bar Association, the Technology Transfer Society, the Licensing Executives Society, and the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. He received his J.D. from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University and his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, formerly known as the General Motors Institute.

Mr. Oberholtzer is a resident of Chelsea. 

Mr. Sosenko focuses on the procurement, enforcement and licensing of patents and trademarks in all industrial fields, including the mechanical, electro-mechanical, medical and material arts.   He  counsels clients on the strategic implementation and management of domestic and international intellectual property portfolios for various multinational clients and deals with a wide range of general and specific intellectual property issues, including:  licensing, joint venture, consulting and other agreement issues;  patent and trademark application preparation, procurement and appeals; product and trademark protectability, infringement and clearance opinions; and litigation analysis, strategy and support. In addition to his U.S. practice, Mr. Sosenko has an extensive international practice with significant experience in international protection, both directly with all major foreign intellectual property offices and under various multinational treaties, including the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Hague Agreement and the Madrid Protocol.

Mr. Sosenko holds a J.D. from West Virginia University School of Law and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University. He is active in various civic and professional and business organizations, including the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Sosenko is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, the State Bar of Michigan, where he was recently elected to serve a three year term on the Council for the Intellectual Property Law Section, the Washtenaw County Bar Association and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property.

Mr. Sosenko is a resident of Green Oak Township.

Mr. Cleland specializes in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition litigation in a broad range of technologies including the chemical, materials science, mechanical and medical device arts, as well as in client counseling, opinion and licensing work in those same areas. His litigation experience includes trials, preliminary injunction hearings, Markman hearings, summary judgment proceedings and all aspects of fact and expert witness discovery spanning federal courts across the county. His patent prosecution experience includes preparation of patent applications in the United States and foreign countries.

Mr. Cleland holds a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law and a B.S.in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is active in civic and professional associations and is a member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American and Michigan Intellectual Property Law Associations and the Washtenaw County Bar Association. Mr. Cleland is also a member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Mr. Cleland is a resident of Ann Arbor.

Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only five percent of Michigan attorneys have been named to the Super Lawyers list and no more than 2.5% of the state's young attorneys have been named to the Rising Stars list. The selection process is based on peer nominations, blue ribbon panel review ( Super Lawyers candidates only) and independent research. For additional information about Super Lawyers, please visit www.superlawyers.com.

 

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five additional offices across the country, including Ann Arbor, serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with more than 170 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks and brand names for a wide variety of products and services. For more information, visit www.usebrinks.com.