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Fitch Even Elects New Partners

December 16, 2011

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery is pleased to announce that Eric L. Broxterman, Calista J. Mitchell, Christine A. Pompa, and Alison A. Richards have been elected partners and Jeffrey A. Chelstrom and Rudy I. Kratz have been made equity partners of the firm. All are based in Fitch Even’s Chicago office.

Mr. Broxterman has a broad-based intellectual property law practice, with a particular emphasis on litigation. He counsels clients in a variety of industries on patent prosecution, infringement/invalidity opinions, IP transactional issues, and procurement of intellectual property. In addition to his substantial experience relating to patent matters, Eric has handled cases concerning false advertising, trademark, and copyright issues. Prior to practicing law, Eric worked as a mechanical engineer designing and manufacturing components for commercial and government aircraft engines. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.

Ms. Mitchell joined Fitch Even in 2005 after graduating with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She focuses her intellectual property law practice primarily on domestic and global patent prosecution of both utility and design applications, and on freedom-to-operate and patentability opinions. Calista also works with clients on IP strategy and licensing as well as patent litigation. She represents clients in industries including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food science, medical devices, and mechanical technologies, among others. Calista earned her B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Iowa.

Ms. Pompa’s practice focus is on intellectual property litigation, opinion counseling, and patent prosecution. She has represented clients in a number of technical fields including food processing, agricultural technology, telecommunications, automotive technology, and computer software. Christine earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, graduating cum laude in 2004. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Wayne State University. Christine was chosen for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers - Rising Stars for 2010 and 2011, recognizing the state's top up-and-coming lawyers.

Ms. Richards is a trial lawyer whose practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property litigation with a primary emphasis on patent disputes. She has litigated patent cases in technical areas including semiconductors, photolithography, integrated circuits, computer software, imaging systems, mobile electronics, online payment systems, human genetic therapies, and medical devices. In addition, she has represented clients in a variety of business disputes involving copyright, breach of contract, business torts, and property rights issues. Alison earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003 and a B.S. in Finance from University of Illinois in 1999, graduating summa cum laude.

Mr. Chelstrom joined Fitch Even in 2003 after graduating magna cum laude from the William Mitchell College of Law. His primary practice focus is patent preparation and prosecution in the chemical and mechanical arts, as well as litigation support. In addition, Jeff counsels his clients on product clearance and freedom-to-operate issues and assists with the management of their patent portfolios. He represents clients in companies of all sizes working with technologies relating to food processing, chemistry, adhesives, laminates, petroleum, automotive components, irrigation systems, and lighting systems, among others. Prior to his legal career, Jeff worked for several years as a chemical engineer with 3M company in manufacturing, research and development, and process development.

Mr. Kratz joined Fitch Even in 2001 and has supervised the firm’s  International Practice Group since 2007. In this role, he assists numerous clients in seeking patent protection in desired countries and in developing and implementing international IP protection strategies. Rudy also manages Fitch Even’s relationships with an extensive network of leading firms across the globe. In addition to his focus on international IP protection, he assists clients with U.S. patent preparation and prosecution and with patentability, infringement, and validity opinions. 

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