Kiersten M. Batzli, Fish & Richardson P.C.

Kiersten Batzli always wanted a career in law — but with a twist.

Both her parents worked in STEM-related fields, so Batzli got a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. That technical acumen brings to Batzli’s practice a thirst for research and knowledge that’s essential for patent attorneys.

Batzli supported patent prosecution as a technical specialist in various Boston law firms while completing law school; she joined Fish & Richardson’s Minneapolis office as an associate in 2021.

At the firm, Batzli leans on her technical expertise to draft and prosecute patent applications and help clients get the most out of their intellectual property assets. Her work touches on an array of technologies: medical devices, fitness wearables, semiconductors and unmanned aerial vehicles, to name a few. Her clients include start-ups, small businesses, universities and large corporations.

“It’s the most fun kind of law, I think,” Batzli said.

A big part of Batzli’s practice is post-grant review — when the validity of a patent is challenged after its issuance. Among her achievements using that technique has been helping to secure a final written decision finding all claims invalid for a patent related to a hydraulic fracturing system.

Batzli works with a lot of small medical device companies. During a recent merger involving one such company, she helped with the onboarding process.

“Part of it is just making sure everyone involved understands the strategy of the company, what the products will look like moving forward,” she said. “It’s gratifying because it involves a lot of client communication and making sure we’re on the same page.”

Batzli is earning a name as an internal mentor, too. A lot of law schools don’t offer in-depth coursework on IP law, so to save Fish’s young patent attorneys from having to learn on the job, she holds monthly meetings and sessions led by senior practitioners.