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James (Jim) Rieke is a Partner and trusted patent attorney at Merchant &amp; Gould's Minneapolis office. He specializes in patent preparation, prosecution and strategic IP portfolio management, helping clients across industries protect original designs.

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Jim brings a unique perspective to the field of intellectual property law. As a former design engineer, he takes a multidisciplinary approach to his work. Jim draws on his background in mechanical and medical technologies to better serve clients in his design patent practice.

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He’s highly skilled in finding progressive ways to secure coverage for the distinguishable aesthetics of a product or invention. His holistic view on product protection focuses on preserving rights to the visual appearances and functional features of inventions and creative works with all IP tools available.

Jim’s expertise encompasses in-depth IP analysis services, such as:

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Moreover, he has noteworthy experience in very diverse areas of IP, ranging from licensing to patent term adjustment awards.

As a seasoned attorney, Jim deeply understands the complexities of IP law. This includes how design work overlaps with other areas, such as trademark and copyright protection. Using this knowledge, he examines each asset with a careful eye to maximize the coverage available for his clients.

Along with the mindset of both an engineer and attorney, Jim brings a demonstrated commitment to the people he works with. He takes a keen interest in every case and truly enjoys meeting with clients in person. Jim engages closely with key stakeholders, guiding them through the legal process step by step.

He’s also passionate about his practice. He diligently illustrates how design patents are integral to a comprehensive IP protection strategy and gives his clients the tools they need to shield against infringement. From gauging risk level to determining financial value, his counsel is custom-tailored to include legal, practical and business advice.

As someone who’s fascinated by emerging technologies and innovations, he’s helped secure a broad range of projects. This includes consumer-oriented and automotive products, medical devices, graphical user interfaces and more.

Jim takes the time to fully understand the nuances of his clients’ designs and their potential impact on domestic and international markets. He looks forward to growing his design practice and leveraging his extensive knowledge of IP law to foster successful outcomes for all of his clients.

Pivoting From Engineer to Patent Attorney

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University. As a mechanical design engineer, he crafted communications and connectivity solutions for a leading telecommunications company.

He graduated cum laude with a JD from the William Mitchell College of Law. He also completed a clerkship at an IP law firm before school and worked as a patent agent while studying, gaining first-hand experience and insight.

Beyond work, Jim loves to travel, golf, ski, and relax on the lake. As a Minnesota native and an avid sports fan, he can also be found cheering on the Vikings, Timberwolves, or Twins alongside his wife and daughters.

William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 

Iowa State University, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Minneapolis

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to announce that James P. Rieke joined as a partner on June 26, adding his design patent specialization to the firm’s IP platform and expanding its capabilities in patent prosecution. He also co-chairs the Design Patent &amp; Trade Dress Group and is a member of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Mechanical Practice Group.



As one of the nation’s leading design patent filers, Rieke brings more than 20 years of domestic and international experience with a focus on patent preparation, prosecution, and strategic IP portfolio management. His unique and extensive background in design patents, a rapidly-growing niche area that helps inventors and companies with patents related to the way products look, is extremely specialized. Rieke has handled an extensive volume of design patent cases over the years, representing companies from growth-state to Fortune 500 across a broad range of innovative industries. His cases blend a deep understanding of design issues globally with traditional IP issues.



“We are excited to welcome Jim. Over the last few years, we noticed our clients’ needs for high-quality design patent protection increased substantially. Our trial lawyers rely on design patents to stop infringement, counterfeiting, and unfair competition online and in district courts. We responded by hiring one of the best design patent lawyers in the United States,” said Heather Kliebenstein, managing director of Merchant &amp; Gould. “Jim rounds out the knowledge we already have with his specialization in this fast-growing area of intellectual property. Having overseen the filing and prosecution of many hundreds of design cases, he is able to advise our clients efficiently and secure effective design patent coverage worldwide. This expertise adds more depth to our mix of solutions to protect our clients’ ideas.”



While design patents have been around since 1842, the last decade has seen an increase in demand for them, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).



“In recent years, increased appreciation of design patents in industry as effective legal tools, as well as an expansion of visual design filings related to digital environments, are most likely boosting this increase. For example, in addition to filing traditional ornamental protection on items with a physical 3D shape, companies are choosing to protect digital designs embodied only on screens, such as interfaces, icons, wait routines, transitions, fonts, and animation sequences. Graphical-user interface protection is one of the fastest-growing areas year after year, as screens are ubiquitous in our lives and clients need more protection than ever in these creative spaces. Further, skilled design practitioners are finding creative ways to protect subject matter like packaging, color, holograms, and even the shape of retail environments,” explained Rieke.



“Design patents are an important asset in a strategic IP portfolio, and companies are seeing the value in design protection. Design patents are also an attractive litigation tool, because a case of infringement and significant damages can be easier to prove and quantify visually for decision-makers – helping to shortcut typically-long procedures,” he added.



Rieke enjoys the specialization of his design patent focus, which also crosses into the firm’s Internet, Cybersecurity &amp; E-Commerce (ICE) Practice Group and Litigation Practice Group. He hopes to grow his practice and get more involved with the enforcement side, something Merchant &amp; Gould is excited about expanding. As a full-service IP firm, Merchant &amp; Gould wants to extend its protection capabilities for different intellectual property solutions.



“Jim brings deep experience and expands Merchant &amp; Gould’s ability to help our clients not only obtain protection of their IP through design patents, but also enforce those rights with the full strength of our litigation capabilities. His knowledge of design patent strategies provides clients with valuable protection against infringement. And the synergies between our Federal Court and ITC litigation skill and Jim’s design patent proficiency allow for strong, full-service protection and enforcement,” said Rachel Zimmerman Scobie, partner and chair of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Litigation Practice Group.



Rieke earned his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, after earning his bachelor&#8217;s degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University in Ames.

James Rieke Joins Merchant & Gould’s Minneapolis Office as Partner

James Rieke and Robert Sykes refresh with specialization and deep industry experience



Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to announce new leadership for its <a></a><a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/Practices/Design-Patent-Trade-Dress">Design Patent &amp; Trade Dress Group</a>, marking a refresh with deeper specialization for its clients. <a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/people/james-p-rieke/">James P. Rieke</a>, Minneapolis partner, and <a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/people/robert-s-sykes/">Robert S. Sykes</a>, Denver partner, will co-chair the practice group, demonstrating a well-balanced leadership team in this fast-growing area of intellectual property.



The <a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/Practices/Design-Patent-Trade-Dress">Design Patent &amp; Trade Dress Group</a> serves all clients, regardless of industry or specific technical needs, helping obtain and enforce utility patents, utility models, design patents, trademarks, trade dress, copyrights and trade secrets. The group is comprised of attorneys with a deep understanding about how the different types of intellectual property (e.g., trade dress and design patents), domestically and internationally, can be used offensively and defensively in an integrated intellectual property strategy.&nbsp;



“Jim and Bob bring deep experience across many industries, and, together, they provide leadership and specialized solutions to this practice group and our firm They will keep our clients updated on the newest Design Patent &amp; Trade Dress trends, case law and comprehensive IP strategies,” said Julie Daulton, Minneapolis partner and co-chair of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Mechanical Practice Group, which interconnects with the Design Patent &amp; Trade Dress Group.



Jim has more than 20 years of domestic and international experience with a focus on patent preparation, prosecution, and strategic IP portfolio management. His unique and extensive background in design patents, a rapidly-growing niche area that helps inventors and companies with patents related to the way products look, is extremely specialized. Jim has handled an extensive volume of design patent cases over the years across a broad range of innovative industries.



Bob has more than 10 years of experience in the mechanical, electrical, aerospace, software, and telecommunication spaces.&nbsp;He incorporates his background as a structural design engineer into his law practice.&nbsp;When preparing a patent application for a client, Bob emphasizes strategic planning and detailed drafting to strive for efficiency. He believes this approach is the best way to create real value for clients and their intellectual property portfolios.



“Design patents and trade dress rights are important tools for an integrated approach to protection. We look forward to Jim and Bob’s guidance, as we expand this specialized IP service for our clients,” added David Schmaltz, Minneapolis partner and co-chair of the firm’s Mechanical Practice Group.

Merchant & Gould Announces New Leadership for Design Patent & Trade Dress Group

Partner

James P. Rieke

American Intellectual Property Law Association, Member 
Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association, Member 
Minnesota State Bar Association 
American Bar Association, Member 
Student Intellectual Property Law Association, president, 2005 to 2006

James P. Rieke

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