Merchant & Gould, a leading intellectual property law firm, announced today the appointment of two new partners. Rachel C. Hughey and Andrew J. Lagatta have been promoted to Shareholder. Hughey and Lagatta are both based at the firm’s Minneapolis headquarters.

Hughey joined Merchant & Gould as a Summer Associate in 2001, and practices intellectual property law with an emphasis on patent litigation and appellate-level disputes. Her wide-ranging fields of experience includes chemical technologies, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, mechanical device and software. Hughey is one of Merchant and Gould’s appellate specialists, having handled dozens of appeals and arguing before the Federal Circuit both on behalf of appellate and appellees, and serving as the co-chair of the firm’s appellate practice area.

In 2008, Hughey was selected as one of 25 Up & Coming Attorneys in Minnesota. She also has been included in Minnesota Rising Stars for four years in a row and has been selected twice as one of the Top Women Attorneys in Minnesota. She holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. She is a prolific writer, with her work frequently published in leading legal publications.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, Lagatta focuses on patent matters, providing intellectual property counseling, analyzing patentability and clearance issues, and drafting and prosecuting patent applications. Prior to practicing law, Lagatta worked at Intel Corporation in computer architecture modeling and performance analysis. His technical experience also includes an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, and he is experienced in diverse electrical, electronic and mechanical technology fields.

Lagatta serves on the conflicts committee of Merchant & Gould and also provides pro bono services to non-profit organizations and low income inventors through the LegalCORPS Inventor Assistance Program. He joined Merchant & Gould as a Summer Associate in 2003.

“Rachel and Andrew consistently provide exceptional value to our clients,” said Brian Batzli, Managing Director and CEO of Merchant & Gould. “They are excellent attorneys and we are pleased to have them elected as shareholders at Merchant & Gould.”

The partnerships were effective as of December 20, 2013.