Biography
Having joined the firm in 2016, Michelle has developed extensive experience formulating and executing global brand enforcement strategies to facilitate brand protection and expansion for a broad range of clients. Michelle has represented clients before the USPTO, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, U.S. Customs, and federal courts. From trademark clearance to litigating infringement issues, Michelle helps her clients with all of the most critical aspects of protecting and maximizing the value of their trademarks and copyrights. Michelle’s experience includes trademark clearance, trademark and copyright prosecution, negotiating coexistence agreements, assignments, and license agreements, domain name disputes, global customs protection and enforcement, Lanham Act and copyright litigation, and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings.
Michelle previously completed an externship for a federal judge, allowing her to gain experience with the inner workings of the federal court system which has proven useful in her representation of clients in connection with trademark, copyright, and counterfeiting litigation. Michelle has also been afforded the opportunity to engage in a secondment with a Fortune 500 company, and has experience working directly with in-house legal teams and internal brand teams. The opportunity has provided her with a unique perspective and understanding of the pressures that in-house legal teams face, and an appreciation of the importance of understanding a client’s goals so that she can provide advice and strategies that are tailored to the business’ and the brand’s needs and objectives.
Michelle has also been selected for inclusion in the Illinois Rising Stars® since 2022 featuring outstanding young attorneys in the state and she was named a 2022 WIPR Leader for Trademarks. Most recently Michelle was recognized in the 2024 and 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ lists in the areas of Intellectual Property Law and Litigation – Intellectual Property.
Background and Credentials
Prior to joining Marshall Gerstein, Michelle worked as an extern for the Honorable Charles P. Kocoras at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law. She was also awarded three CALI Awards for Excellence. During law school, Michelle served as the production editor for The Journal of Law, Technology, & Policy, was a member of the Women’s Law Society and the Intellectual Property Law Society. She also participated in an IP Clinic and helped several start-up businesses protect their intellectual property rights by preparing trademark applications on their behalf. Michelle also holds a B.S. degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Education
- University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude)
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.S.)
- Psychology
Bar Admissions
Publications and Presentations
- “Apart at the Seams – Copyright Protection for Apparel: Star Athletica, LLC v. Varsity Brands, Inc.,” Marshall Gerstein Alert, March 28, 2017.
- “Lee v Tam,” Intellectual Property Magazine, March 2, 2017.
- “10 Years of MedImmune: What Trademark Owners Learned," Law360, February 14, 2017.
- “Supreme Court Considers Copyright Protection in Designs on Useful Articles,” Marshall Gerstein Alert, November 11, 2016.
- “A Highway in the Sky: A Look at Land Use Issues That Will Arise with the Integration of Drone Technology,” University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology, and Policy, 2015.
Community and Professional Involvement
- Women's Bar Association of Illinois – Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee
- Hellenic Bar Association
- American Bar Association