Brian H. Batzli, a shareholder and Chairman Emeritus of Merchant & Gould, a national intellectual property (IP) firm, was named to the Board of Trustees of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, effective July 1.

Mitchell Hamline is a leader in intellectual property (IP) education, research and initiatives, recognizing IP as one of the top-academic areas at the school.  The curriculum prepares students by providing both an academic foundation and a real-world experience, bridging the gap between theory and practice. 

Batzli also recently completed two years of service (2015-2017), as the chair of the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Intellectual Property Institute's IP Advisory Board.

“Mitchell Hamline is becoming increasingly recognized as the national leader in innovation in legal education.  We are very grateful for Brian’s continued willingness to help us move forward in this direction as we provide an academically rigorous, practical, hands-on legal education that prepares students for the rapidly changing legal market,” said Mark Gordon, President and Dean, Mitchell Hamline. 

In 2015, the two local law schools, Hamline and William Mitchell, merged to become Mitchell Hamline.  Batzli’s alma mater was William Mitchell College of Law.

"I was happy to help Mitchell Hamline during its transition to a single school," said Batzli.  "It is an honor to be on the Board of Trustees today and to have previously chaired the IP Advisory board.”

First hired as an associate in 1987, Batzli is now in his 31^st year at Merchant & Gould. He was elected as the firm’s Managing Director, CEO and Chairman of the Board in 2010.  He completed his term in those roles on June 30, 2018, when he welcomed his successor, Mr. Chris Leonard.  Batzli now serves as Chairman Emeritus and has resumed his practice of strategic IP counseling, licensing, and patent prosecution in the electrical, mechanical and software arts.