Kimberly M. Slaven

Ms. Slaven focuses her practice on intellectual property law, particularly in the area of patents. She has significant experience in the chemical arts, especially material science and metallurgy, as well as the mechanical and electrical arts, particularly inventions related to the automotive industry. On behalf of the firm’s clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual entrepreneurs, she handles patent application preparation and prosecution, including original filings, responses, appeals, oppositions, reexaminations, and reissue applications. She conducts patentability and clearance searches, and provides patentability opinions, patent infringement opinions, freedom to operate opinions, patent licensing agreements, non-disclosure agreements, intellectual property litigation support, and patent portfolio management. Ms. Slaven also has significant experience in trademark prosecution, frequently helping clients register their trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Throughout her career, Ms. Slaven has given voluntary lectures on patent-related topics to entrepreneurs and students at the University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Kettering University, and Wayne State University. She has also volunteered to serve in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s pro bono program.

• Represented the American arm of a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of metal surface finishing chemicals, focusing on patent prosecution matters related to their metal finishing processes for vehicle and industrial components.
• Supported a multi-billion dollar American branch of a French automotive supplier in protecting the company’s U.S. intellectual property rights within the comfort and driving assistance (CDA) technology group, with a particular emphasis on LiDAR and camera systems for vehicle automation.

• Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs, Presentations for various universities and entrepreneur support programs
• The Commercial Exploitation of Student-Athletes in Video Games Reveals the NCAA Amateurism Bylaws Must Be Revised, Michigan State University Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, Fall 2008