FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2013
CONTACT
Barbara Fornasiero
248.651.7536
Cell: 586.817.8414
barbara@eafocus.com
ANN ARBOR – Steven L. Oberholtzer and Eric J. Sosenko, shareholders in the Ann Arbor office of Chicago-based Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2014. Additionally, Steve Oberholtzer was named The Best Lawyers in America© 2014 Ann Arbor patent law “Lawyer of the Year.”
Oberholtzer is the managing partner of the Ann Arbor office and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and was listed in the specialty area of patent law. His practice focuses on patent and trademark counseling, corporate intellectual property policy development and administration, technology licensing, joint development and joint venture relationship agreements. He also has experience in United States Patent and Trademark Office administrative proceedings including interferences, re-examinations, re-issues, trademark oppositions and patent application preparation and prosecution.
Oberholtzer has extensive experience with the intellectual property legal issues of the automotive industry. He has a lifelong interest in the industry and products, and was previously employed as a senior project engineer with a domestic OEM manufacturer and as in-house patent counsel for a Tier 1 supplier. In private practice, Oberholtzer has acted as primary outside counsel for a number of Tier 1 and lower tier supplier engagements that include worldwide responsibility for all intellectual property issues and management of teams of attorneys handling all facets of these matters.
Oberholtzer is the principal author of a primer on intellectual property entitled, The Basic Principles of Intellectual Property Law. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, formerly known as the General Motors Institute, and received his J.D. from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society.
Eric Sosenko was listed in his specialty areas of patent law and trademark law as well as intellectual property litigation. His practice 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 on the strategic implementation and management of domestic and international intellectual property portfolios for various multinational clients and deals with a wide range of intellectual property issues.
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, and has presented at seminars in both China and Japan.
Sosenko received his J.D. and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and serves on the patent law, patent cooperation treaty issues and international education committees, the Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Washtenaw County Bar Association and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property. Sosenko is also a past Secretary for the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and serves as the chairperson of Brinks’ Patent Reform Task Force. He is a resident of Brighton.
About Best Lawyers®
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which almost 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly five million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” Learn more at www.bestlawyers.com.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Brinks has more than 160 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents who specialize in intellectual property, making it one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S. Clients around the world use Brinks to help them identify, protect, manage and enforce their intellectual property. Brinks lawyers provide expertise in all aspects of patent, trademark, unfair competition, trade secret and copyright law. The Brinks team includes lawyers with advanced degrees in all fields of technology and science. Brinks has offices in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Research Triangle Park, N.C., Salt Lake City and Indianapolis. More information is available at www.usebrinks.com.
