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Michal Gawlik

Michal Gawlik

Patent Agent & Engineer Program Manager
Overview

Michal manages the firm’s patent agent and engineer program, while also assisting clients with IP strategy and patent management.

As program manager, Michal oversees training and professional development for patent agents and engineers—a role that fits perfectly with his passion for patent work and helping others thrive in this field. Early in his career, Michal earned a master’s in IP management, giving him a holistic view of the role intellectual property and innovation play in businesses—and how patent agents and engineers can best support the process.

Michal has served in patent agent and engineer positions at a general practice law firm, a boutique IP firm, and a Fortune 500 company producing construction products and food equipment. His diverse experiences help him understand the role of patent practitioners from a variety of perspectives in differing environments, and his time in-house gave him an in-depth overview of the entire patent life cycle. Michal also served as patent manager at a consulting firm, where he grew and promoted a new patent program. Before working in intellectual property, Michal gained technical experience in electrical power and controls in the mining equipment, nuclear power, and material handling industries.

In addition to his internal management role at Husch Blackwell, Michal also assists clients, providing guidance on IP strategy and patent management. He loves being an interpreter between technology and business and the legal world, and he’s deeply enthusiastic about working with inventors and creators.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • AIPLA Maurice Klitzman Award for corporate patent practitioners, 2021

Education

  • J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law
  • B.S., Marquette University
    • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
    • Minor in Business Administration
    • magna cum laude

Admissions

  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Illinois

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association(AIPLA)
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC)
  • Licensing Executives Society (LES)
  • Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society (TBP)

Languages

  • Polish, fluent
  • Spanish, conversational
Experience
  • Collaborated to develop IP strategies for two business segments with more than 4,500 patent filings at a Fortune 500 company. Managed drafting and prosecution of 100+ patent applications yearly, monitored $1M of annual spend across several countries.
  • Led team to source and upgrade an IP management software used by a 20+ person team.
  • Implemented a virtual patent marking plan and mapped 150+ patents to 60+ products.
  • Operationalized a new patent program at a consulting firm, introducing standardized processes and forecasting to make invention disclosure and patent filing efficient for inventors, sponsors, and counsel.
  • Facilitated a patent steering committee to set patent strategy and goals, including evaluating whether and how to monetize IP.
  • Leveraged IP expertise to help solve various problems – strategy, operations, investment, and risk management – for clients.
  • Forecasted and set budget for examination and maintenance of growing patent portfolio.
  • Trained engineering and marketing teams about IP topics.
Outside the Office

Michal is an avid coin collector—he loves the idea of having tangible objects from around world and throughout history. A world traveler as well, he especially enjoys visiting places that connect to his coin collecting. Poland and Spain, where he has family, are favorite destinations.

Michal also loves time outdoors for cycling, skiing, and kayaking. Indoors, he enjoys board games and trivia.

Community Leadership

Michal and his wife volunteer with Journeys the Road Home | PADS, serving as kitchen coordinators at a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness.