Southfield, Mich. – Brooks Kushman is pleased to announce that Associate Rachel A. Smith has been named a Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2015 “Up & Coming Lawyer.” This award recognizes 30 honorees in Michigan’s legal community who are establishing a name for themselves; go above and beyond and display the ambition, drive, determination and accomplishments that set them apart among their peers — in their first 10 years in practice.
Michigan Lawyers Weekly will recognize the 2015 Up & Coming Lawyers at an awards luncheon on Thursday, December 17, 2015 at the Detroit Marriott in Troy, Michigan.
Smith was recognized as a 2015 “Up & Coming Lawyer” for her leadership within her field and unparalleled commitment and focus on client service, in addition to her work in the legal and local community to help women advance through networking and to educate young females on the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.
Smith specializes in preparing and prosecuting both domestic and foreign patent applications. She also has experience in patent litigation, patent licensing and negotiations thereof, as well as freedom to operate and opinion work. Smith 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.
Smith earned her Juris Doctor from Wayne State University in Detroit and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Ohio Northern University in Ada.
Smith is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Oakland County Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Oakland County, and is a registered patent attorney with the United State Patent and Trademark Office. She is also the secretary of the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) and serves on the Women in IP Law Committee for the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Through her various leadership positions she has played an instrumental role in connecting southeast Michigan’s community of women in IP law with colleagues from more than 60 cities around the world during the 2015 Cross Country Women in IP Networking Event with the American Intellectual Property Law Association, in addition to spearheading a novel series of IP patch events for Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan to expose Girl Scouts to the opportunities available through STEM.
About Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman P.C. is a leading intellectual property (IP) and technology law firm with offices across the nation, and represents clients nationally and internationally with respect to protection, enforcement and monetization of IP, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The firm has more than 90 intellectual property professionals specializing in various technical disciplines, and has a reputation for providing leading IP counseling with a focus on the business objectives of their clients.
Brooks Kushman counts a number of Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries among its clients. The firm is also recognized by leading legal publications and rankings, including Corporate Counsel magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Law360, Intellectual Asset Management, Managing Intellectual Property, and Intellectual Property Today. For more information, please visit www.BrooksKushman.com.
