ROYAL OAK, Michigan – Brooks Kushman is delighted to announce that Shareholder Rachel Smith was selected for this year’s class of Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Detroit Business.
The women featured in the Notable Women in Law report are selected based on their career accomplishments, track record of success in the field, contributions to their community, and mentorship of others. This class of women have set legal precedents, relentlessly pursued justice, and won big cases for their clients – all while mentoring the next wave of women in law and finding ways to give back.
Rachel Smith was selected for her ability to manage and navigate complex legal and technical issues for her clients, from managing global patent portfolios to handling high-stakes licensing negotiations. She is able to effectively communicate with her clients regarding legal, technical, and business issues. This, coupled with her ability to repeatedly achieve successful results, allows for strong and trusting relationships with her clients.
Specifically, Rachel has the ability to prosecute and manage global patent portfolios while keeping an understanding of how patent protection fits within her clients’ businesses effectively and efficiently. Her practice extends to licensing negotiation, open-source software and copyright issues, and pre-litigation due diligence and investigations. Her clients extend across a vast array of industries including consumer electronics and appliances, software and artificial intelligence, finance, medical devices, and automotive, to name a few.
Throughout her career, Rachel has participated in numerous diversity and inclusion efforts with the goal of bettering our community and coaching others. Externally, Rachel has played an instrumental role in expanding the firms’ support of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s (AIPLA) Women in IP Law Annual Global Networking Event, which connects women in IP from around the world. She also served in a leadership role to partner with the Girl Scouts of Michigan – initiating the first event at the Detroit Patent Office to launch the IP Patch in Michigan, helping over 500 Girl Scouts earn the patch. Rachel has been an active member of the Leadership Counsel for Legal Diversity (LCLD) since 2020 and has attended events across the country to learn and network to promote diversity in the legal profession. She is an active member of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) and a past president.
Click here to view the full list of Notable Women in the Law.
About Brooks Kushman P.C.
Founded in 1983, Brooks Kushman P.C. has built a national reputation as a premier intellectual property and technology law firm. We accomplish this with the understanding that the most effective IP solutions come from putting great minds together – our clients and our own. With offices in Michigan, California, Washington D.C., and Nevada, we forge strong relationships with corporations, small to medium-sized businesses, and leading universities across the country.
Brooks Kushman counts a number of Fortune 100 Corporations across a variety of industries among its clients. Our attorneys have a deep understanding and broad range of experience in a variety of industries and technologies, including consumer electronics, manufacturing, medical device, computer technology, aerospace, chemicals, biotechnology, and retail. We are also recognized by leading legal publications and rankings, including, Best Lawyers, Law360, Intellectual Asset Management, Managing Intellectual Property, and World Trademark Review. For more information, please visit www.BrooksKushman.com.
