Merchant & Gould congratulates Brian Batzli, partner and Chairman Emeritus, for his role with the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), a national bar association that helps establish and maintain fair and effective laws and policies.    

At AIPLA’s annual meeting in October, Brian was elected as Second Vice President of the organization.  The election starts a four-year track to becoming the President of AIPLA.  As Second Vice President he will continue serving on AIPLA’s Board of Directors where he helps further the organization’s mission as an innovator, powerful advocate, and visible global leader in intellectual property. 

Brian has previously served in a number of leadership roles at AIPLA.  For the past three years was the association’s Treasurer.  He has also served in a number of Committee roles, including the Chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee, Chair of the IP in Latin America Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Publications, among others. 

Founded in 1897, AIPLA is a national bar association constituted primarily of lawyers and patent agents in private and corporate practice, in government service, and the academic community. AIPLA represents a wide and diverse spectrum of individuals from law firms, companies, and institutions involved directly or indirectly in the practice of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition law, as well as other fields of law affecting intellectual property. Its 12,000 members represent both owners and users of intellectual property, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations.

“We all recognize AIPLA’s preeminent role in advocacy and thought leadership in IP, and we are grateful for Brian’s leadership role and continued commitment,” said Christopher J. Leonard, Managing Director, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, of Merchant & Gould.  “Well done, Brian!”

First hired as an associate in 1987, Batzli is now in his 32nd 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, 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.