Mark A. Kassel, a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP, is chair of the firm's Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Practice and head of the Madison office Intellectual Property Department. Mr. Kassel is also a member of the firm's Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies and Trademark, Copyright & Advertising Practices, as well as the Health Care and Life Sciences Industry Teams. His practice includes a broad spectrum of patent, trademark, copyright and licensing matters. Mr. Kassel's patent practice emphasizes biotechnical and chemical arts.
Mr. Kassel works in many areas of biotechnology, including nanotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostic products. He has wide-ranging experience in both organic and inorganic chemical areas involving adhesives, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and alloys. Mr. Kassel has extensive experience in drafting agreements, including license agreements, joint venture agreements, consulting agreements and distribution agreements. He also prepares patent validity and non-infringement opinions as well as conducts patent portfolio analysis.
Mr. Kassel provides counseling on all aspects of domestic and international trademark practice, including trademark registration and trademark enforcement. He represents the worldwide trademark interests of numerous clients. In addition, he acts as primary copyright counsel for several businesses ranging from book publishers to software manufacturers.
Mr. Kassel represents a broad range of clients, with special focus in advising and counseling start-up companies in all aspects of intellectual property protection as well as legal issues associated with biotechnology asset valuation and management, venture capital and licensing.
Mr. Kassel has published a broad range of legal and scientific articles, many relating to pharmaceuticals, food and drug law, and the interactions of intellectual property issues with the Internet. He has been a frequent speaker on intellectual property matters at various functions throughout the United States. Mr. Kassel was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2007-2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of intellectual property law, biotechnology law and technology law and was named 2012 Madison Patent Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America. In 2010 and 2011, the Legal 500 recognized Mr. Kassel as a Leading Lawyer in patent prosecution. He was also selected for inclusion in the 2005 and 2010 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® lists. Additionally, he has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system.
Mr. Kassel was named a Food and Drug Law Institute Scholar by the Food and Drug Law Institute. He received more than two dozen honors and awards during law school, including being named a Duesenburg Endowed Scholar.
Mr. Kassel is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association, the National Association of Patent Practitioners, the Licensing Executives Society, the American Chemical Society, the Society for Microbiology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mr. Kassel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison (B.S., chemistry, 1987; M.S., bacteriology, 1995); the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (M.S., organic chemistry, 1989); and Valparaiso Law School (J.D., summa cum laude, 1993), where he was valedictorian of his class.
Mr. Kassel is admitted to practice in Wisconsin, and before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.