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John P. Olson is a dedicated trademark associate with Merchant &amp; Gould’s Minneapolis, MN office. With previous experience as a strategic partner for Fortune 500 companies, John now serves businesses as a trusted legal advisor, helping them protect their brands and assets from infringement and other unfair practices.

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Protecting You &amp; Your Assets From Trademark Infringement

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John focuses his legal practice on protecting businesses from trademark infringement. This includes working with the USPTO for trademark clearance and searching as well as filing oppositions and cancellation proceedings.

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His legal experience ranges from protecting brands against counterfeit goods to those fighting against infringement via social media or online content. From trademark prosecution and enforcement to litigation, John works diligently to protect you and your assets.

Partnering With a Wide Range of Industries

Throughout his experience thus far, John has supported businesses in a wide range of unique industries, including consumer products, automotive and powersports, internet products, and media and entertainment. He understands the importance of all businesses having adequate legal protection, so he does what it takes to serve all.&nbsp;

John’s mission is to be your company’s trusted legal advisor. His experience includes years of work as a strategic partner for large corporations at Forrester Research as well as a rotational associate at a global financial services company in Boston, MA.

John now works with businesses both large and small. Whether your business is in need of brand strategy, trademark prosecution, trademark enforcement, or advice related to other intellectual property matters, he is here to support you.

John received his Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Management from Dickinson College and his J.D. Cum Laude from Roger Williams University School of Law. During law school, John worked as a law clerk for Merchant &amp; Gould and a Massachusetts-based civil litigation law firm, as well as a Teaching Assistant for his Contracts and Legal Writing law professors. He also dedicated time to being a Sub-Committee Chair for the ABA Intellectual Property Law Trademark Legislation Committee from 2019 to 2020.

In his spare time, John enjoys downhill skiing, playing tennis and traveling. He also enjoys spending time with his friends and family while trying new restaurants throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.

Roger Williams University School of Law, J.D., 2021, 

Dickinson College, B.S. International Business & Management, 2014

John Olson, Intellectual Property Attorney

New York

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to have welcomed four new associates to its Minneapolis legal team:  <a href="/people/john-p-olson/">John P. Olson</a>, <a href="/people/samuel-m-scholz/">Samuel M. Scholz</a>, <a href="/people/taylor-r-stemler/">Taylor R. Stemler</a> and Ivan Wang.



“These attorneys add depth and experience to the firm, bringing greater perspective to our clients and knowledge to our practice groups,” said Christopher J. Leonard, Managing Director and CEO of Merchant &amp; Gould.  “We are excited to welcome them.”



<a href="/people/john-p-olson/">John Olson</a> focuses his legal practice on protecting businesses from trademark infringement. With previous experience as a strategic partner for Fortune 500 companies, he now serves businesses as a trusted legal advisor, helping them protect their brands and assets from infringement and other unfair practices. John has supported businesses in a wide range of unique industries, including consumer products, automotive and powersports, internet products, and media and entertainment. He received his Bachelor of Arts in international business and management from Dickinson College, and his J.D. cum laude from Roger Williams University School of Law. During law school, Olson worked as a law clerk for Merchant &amp; Gould.



<a href="/people/samuel-m-scholz/">Samuel Scholz</a> focuses his practice on patent prosecution, specializing in electrical, medical and mechanical industries, and patent litigation. Before becoming an attorney, he worked for 3M as a Corporate R&amp;D Technical Aide after obtaining his bachelor’s degree. During this time, Sam drafted new test methods, created new formulations, performed extensive testing, and gained an in-depth understanding of various chemical and mechanical processes.  He received his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota. Sam also received his J.D. with an Intellectual Property Law Certification from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law where he served as the co-editor-in-chief of the Cybaris Intellectual Property Law Review and graduated magna cum laude.



<a href="/people/taylor-r-stemler/">Taylor Stemler</a> focuses his practice on both patent prosecution and intellectual property litigation. From inventors to businesses, he helps his clients secure patent protection and assert their intellectual property rights,  primarily serving the mechanical and electrical industries. Before becoming an attorney, Taylor worked as a Biomedical Engineer for a Minnesota-based medical device company, collaborating with the company’s patent counsel to file for patent protection on these ideas. Taylor is a summa cum laude graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where he served as Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review, and he received his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota.



Ivan Wang focuses on patent prosecution in the electrical and software industries and advises clients on IP strategies. &nbsp;His near decade-long engineering experience has honed his ability to quickly understand technical issues and has helped him develop unique industry perspectives on IP strategies. &nbsp;Ivan understands that patents, trade secrets and designs are critical components to a client’s IP strategy; and sees the bigger picture through a technical lens. &nbsp;He earned his Master of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Ivan graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in electronics and information engineering.

John P. Olson

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