Billie Jean Smith serves as Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. As an Intellectual Property attorney she works closely with her clients to procure, manage and enforce IP portfolios including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. A seasoned attorney nearly twenty years of experience, Ms. Smith aids her clients in the preparation and implementation of IP strategies to achieve desired business goals.
Knowledge of all areas of IP allows Ms. Smith to counsel clients regarding not only a product’s development but also its marketing and positioning in today’s competitive global marketplace. In addition, Ms. Smith’s technical background as an engineer enables her to understand her clients’ product development issues, as well as the realities her clients face when selling products to complex global markets.
Ms. Smith engages in a simple practice philosophy. Her clients run successful businesses. First and foremost, her role is to aid them in that endeavor. Whether it is procuring, enforcing or defending her clients’ IP rights, her legal advice is built upon a business framework to assist her clients in achieving their business goals. With her training in Legal Lean Sigma, Ms. Smith knows how to get work done efficiently for her clients.
As Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Michael Best, Ms. Smith is supported by an IP practice group of more than 100 professionals, as well as a network of law firms around the world. Whether it is patent, trademark or copyright matters, Ms. Smith brings an experienced and creative approach and skill set to the intellectual property issues she handles for clients.