Michael T. Hess

Mike Hess is an associate and registered patent attorney with the intellectual property law firm of Seager, Tufte, & Wickhem. He is based in the firm’s Minneapolis, Minnesota office.

Mike is focused on assisting clients in all aspects of patent and trademark portfolio management and strategy, including U.S. and foreign preparation, prosecution, searches, opinions, and agreements.

Prior to joining Seager, Tufte, & Wickhem in 2011, Mike worked as an intellectual property attorney at a law firm in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Following law school, Mike was an Examiner for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where he examined patent applications in the field of electromechanical manufacturing. Born in St. Cloud Minnesota, Mike received his J.D. from Marquette University Law School, his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

Mike is licensed to practice in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as the state courts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and California. He is a member of the Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA), American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), and the International Trademark Association (INTA). He regularly guest lectures on intellectual property topics at local universities.

Practice Areas

Patent portfolio analysis, strategy, and management – domestic and foreign
Patent preparation and prosecution - domestic and foreign
Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis
Non-infringement and invalidity analyses
Trademark Portfolio analysis, strategy, and management – domestic and foreign
Trademark clearance analyses

Industry Sectors / Specialties

Control Systems
Electromechanical
Manufacturing
Mechanical Arts
Medical Devices
Recreation Devices and Systems
User Interfaces

Education

Marquette University Law School
J.D.

University of Minnesota
M.S. Mechanical Engineering

University of Wisconsin
B.S. Industrial Engineering

Bar Admissions

USPTO (2005)
Wisconsin (2006)
California (2006)
Minnesota (2009)

Professional Affiliations

MIPLA
AIPLA
MSBA
INTA

Associate