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Home | Merchant & Gould P.C.

Leighton Zhao is an Associate in Merchant &amp; Gould’s Minneapolis office. As Patent Litigation attorney, Leighton focuses his practice on a variety of fields, with a special focus on life sciences.&nbsp;

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Leighton always had the desire to go to law school thanks to his upbringing. Both his parents were engineers, and throughout his childhood he was surrounded by many of their fellow engineer friends and colleagues. Some of these engineers made a career change by going to law school, and watching their career paths made a significant impression on Leighton.

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In high school, Leighton participated in policy debate. This further spurred his interest in becoming an attorney, as he was energized by the art of strategy and formulating articulate arguments.&nbsp;

Knowing he needed to study a technical field for his future patent law career, Leighton attended Northwestern University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Science, Math and Chemistry and graduated magna cum laude.

Leighton continued his education at Northwestern with a Master’s degree in chemistry. From there, he earned his Juris Doctor at Cornell Law School, where he was an Executive Editor of the Cornell Law Review.

He completed an internship in patent prosecution to gain a well-rounded perspective of patent law. His scientific, technical, and educational background helps him understand the intricacies and details of clients’ innovations.&nbsp;

Inspired by his former high school science teacher, Leighton chose chemistry as his technical degree due to the field’s interesting research opportunities. Over the course of his education, he developed his strong analytical and research skills, knowing this would support his work in patent law.

As a patent litigation attorney, attention to detail is critical. Leighton’s committed to supporting clients and the legal team by performing thorough legal research and thoroughly analyzing documents and instructions. His work is vital to developing in-depth legal strategies that help protect the inventions of clients.

One of the keys to Leighton’s success is his strong work ethic. He’s continually motivated to work hard and seek out opportunities.&nbsp;

Above all else, Leighton is inspired by his passion for litigation. The field brings fascinating knowledge and ideas to his desk every day, and he greatly enjoys the investigative process and learning about each client’s cutting-edge inventions, ideas and technology.&nbsp;

Leighton is also a motivated team player who delights in interacting with clients and colleagues while working toward a common goal. He tackles each day with a flexible &nbsp;and collaborative mindset in order to fulfill his vast range of responsibilities and tasks. Leighton’s strong organizational and time management skills are essential to supporting the legal team's efforts.

Leighton was born and raised in Minnesota and speaks Cantonese. Outside of work, he’s an avid gamer and enjoys playing soccer.

Leighton Zhao

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