As a patent attorney, Julie knows that a narrow focus on the U.S. can hurt inventors in an increasingly global economy. She focuses on strategy and patent applications for best practices around the world to create strong global patent portfolios for her clients.
Julie is a shareholder in the Minneapolis office of Merchant & Gould who practices intellectual property law with a focus on patents (utility and design). She has written and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications, several of which have been successfully enforced through licensing or litigation. Julie is experienced in conducting invalidity investigations, infringement studies, non-infringement design-around counseling, and competitive patent portfolio analyses. Julie has prosecuted inter-partes and ex-parte reexaminations and patent reissues, and she has coordinated foreign patent oppositions on behalf of both the patent holder and the opposer.
While in law school, Julie was a Patent Examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C., gaining experience as a student that she uses in her practice to navigate the inner workings of the Patent & Trademark Office.
At Merchant & Gould, Julie serves as the corporate secretary and chairs the firm’s benefits committee. She represents children pro bono through the Children's Law Center of Minnesota. Julie serves on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit organization, and on her church’s finance committee. She has been a lifetime Minnesota Twins fan.