Kelly K. Burris

Ann Arbor
734.302.6043
734.994.6331 (fax)

kburris@brinkshofer.com

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SUMMARY
PRESS RELEASES
BOOKS
MEDIA MENTIONS

Practice Summary

Ms. Burris is chair of Brinks' Green Technology Practice Group and focuses her practice on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in the mechanical, material science, and electrical arts. She also prepares clearance/freedom-to-practice opinions, drafts and negotiates licensing agreements and joint development agreements, and supports patent and trademark litigation, including client counseling, discovery, depositions, and brief writing. Ms. Burris is also involved in due diligence with mergers and acquisitions, transactional matters, management and administration of corporate intellectual property portfolios and policies, and strategic competitive intelligence.

Prior to practicing law, Ms. Burris spent more than 11 years in the aerospace industry with McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, where she worked in diverse areas such as advanced composite materials, advanced design, production manufacturing, ballistics research, and most recently in virtual reality and CAD/CAM technology and applications. Ms. Burris also holds a U.S. Patent in the area of fiber optics.

Honors/Distinctions

Private pilot with single engine land, single engine sea, multiengine land and instrument ratings
2010 Women in Law Award, Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Publications

Feature Profiles

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"Meet Kelly Burris: The Flying Lawyer who Gives Back," Lawyers and Settlements, April 5, 2011
"Michigan Women in the Law," Michigan Lawyers Weekly, August 30, 2010
"Local Woman Is Both Pilot, Lawyer, “ WDIV, June 15, 2010
"Executive Lawyer Profile: Kelly Burris, patent lawyer, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, Ann Arbor," AnnArbor.com, February 18, 2010
"Local Attorney Wins Award For Flying With Compassion," Ann Arbor Business Monthly, October 2009

"A Time to Honor Our Best," by Mike Eidelbes and Samantha Meinke, Michigan Bar Journal, September 2009
"Michigan Attorney Wins Historic National Women's Air Race Classic," by Naseem Stecker, Michigan Bar Journal, August 2009
"Earning Their Wings - Ann Arbor Patent Attorney, Co-Pilot Take Top Prize in Prestigious National Flying Competition," by Douglas Levy, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, June 13, 2009

Published Articles

"Protecting Your Apparel: Design Patents Offering an Appealing Option," Apparel, February 24, 2009
"Legal Ruling on Design Patents Favors Consumer Goods Companies," Michigan Lawyers Weekly, December 15, 2008
"Patent or Trade Secret?: Changing times call for re-evaluation of IP strategies," Michigan Lawyers Weekly, June 2, 2008
Chapter 1: “Patents,” Missouri Intellectual Property Law Deskbook, Missouri Bar, 2004

Presentations

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"Patent or Trade Secret? What is Best for Your Business?" Ann Arbor SPARK, October 24, 2008
"Intellectual Property Best Practices for Your Business," Ann Arbor SPARK, February 15, 2008
"10 Intellectual Property Red Flags for Your Business," Michigan Young Lawyers Division, American Bar Association, May 17, 2008
"The Business of Design Patents," Ann Arbor SPARK, September 28, 2007
"Trademark Law," 17^th Annual Women in Aviation Conference, 2006

"Intellectual Property Basics for the Aviation Professional," 13^th Annual Women in Aviation International Conference, 2002

Memberships & Affiliations

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American Bar Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association
Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
American Society of Materials International

American Welding Society
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Women in Aviation International

Civic Activities

Angel Flight Central, Board of Directors
Volunteer pilot with Angel Flight–providing free air transportation to specialized health care facilities for people in need due to family, community or national crisis
Pro bono trademark counseling for Women in Aviation International
Pro bono trademark counseling for the Family Support Network, St. Louis, Missouri

Legal Experience

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Shareholder, January 2009-Present
Counsel, May 2007-December 2008
Harness, Dickey & Pierce, St. Louis, Missouri; Troy, Michigan
Principal, 2007
Associate, 2001-2007
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, St. Louis, Missouri
Associate, 1999-2001
Baker & Daniels, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Summer Clerk, 1998

Non-Legal Experience

McDonnell Douglas, The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Missouri
Aerospace Engineer, 1988-2009
Composite Structures Design and Manufacturing
Aircraft Survivability/Ballistics Testing
Virtual Reality and CAD/CAM for Digital/3D Aircraft Design
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Wilmington, Delaware
Summer Internship, 1988
Thermoplastic Materials Research (PEEK^®)
Spectrophotometer test procedures and analysis
Triboelectric test procedures and analysis

Teaching Experience

Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Adjunct Professor, 2010 – present
Intellectual Property Law
Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Adjunct Professor, 2009
Intellectual Property Law
Department of Defense – Defense Systems Management College, St. Louis, Missouri
Adjunct Professor, 1994-1996
Manufacturing Management
University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, Illinois
Adjunct Professor, 1994-1996
Composite Materials Design and Manufacturing
Washington University , St. Louis, Missouri
Adjunct Professor, 1994-1996
Composite Materials Design and Manufacturing

Press Releases

Books

Missouri Intellectual Property Law Deskbook

Media Mentions