Steven L. Oberholtzer managing shareholder of the Ann Arbor office of Chicago-based Brinks Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., was a guest on Michigan's Comcast Newsmakers, a news platform presenting public affairs information via interviews with local, state and federal officials and business and community leaders.
The topic was a discussion on the unique challenges faced by traditional automakers and their supplier partners amid high profile collaborations between the auto and tech industries.
Oberholtzer, who is named to 'The Best Lawyers in America 2017,' advises the auto industry to protect its core competencies while using shared technologies vital to the ongoing development of autonomous vehicles, hybrids and other technology-driven initiatives which reflect a fundamental shift in the auto industry. The interview followed a blog post Oberholtzer contributed to Automotive News in June 2016 on the same topic.
Oberholtzer's practice at Brinks focuses on patent and trademark counseling, corporate intellectual property policy development and administration, technology licensing, joint development and joint venture relationship agreements. He has extensive experience with the intellectual property legal issues of the automotive industry and a lifelong interest in the industry and its products. Oberholtzer was previously employed as a senior project engineer with a domestic OEM manufacturer and as in-house patent counsel for a Tier 1 supplier. In private practice, he has acted as primary outside counsel for a number of Tier 1 and lower tier supplier engagements that include worldwide responsibility for all intellectual property issues and management of teams of attorneys handling all facets of these matters.
The principal author of a primer on intellectual property, "The Basic Principles of Intellectual Property Law," Oberholtzer holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, (formerly General Motors Institute), and received his J.D. from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University.
Published: Mon, Sep 26, 2016
