Stephen T. Mahan

Steve is a Shareholder at Quinn IP Law and brings to the firm a unique combination of legal expertise and in-depth technical experience derived from his years as an engineer and engineering manager in the automotive industry. Steve has a deep understanding of the concerns and priorities of in-house counsel, having worked directly with both corporate and outside attorneys to prepare and prosecute patent applications and manage intellectual property portfolios. Steve is also skilled in generating invalidity, non-infringement, and freedom-to operate opinions, conducting patentability searches, and providing counseling to clients seeking product development and design-around services. He sees his role as helping clients effectively tell the stories behind their inventions and products in order to secure valuable patent protection and improve their market position.

Prior to working with Quinn IP Law, Steve served as an Associate Attorney with a boutique IP law firm, where he practiced intellectual property law with an emphasis on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. He also spent several years of his career as a staff engineer with General Motors Corporation and Delphi Corporation. At Delphi, Steve gained hands-on experience in fuel, exhaust, and powertrain system engineering, and developed and managed the Energy and Chassis Division’s intellectual property portfolio, including coordinating submissions for new inventions and overseeing the portfolio’s budget. At GM, Steve analyzed engine management systems and led teams charged with developing and enhancing on-board diagnostic systems. Steve also has experience in marketing and product management of agricultural and dairy equipment as part of his work with DEC International.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with a minor in electrical engineering from Cornell University, and a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University, where he received the Jurisprudence Achievement Award in International Intellectual Property. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Steve has also written and published multiple articles with SAE International on the topic of catalyst monitoring and diagnostics. Steve has also served as a guest lecturer on the topic of exhaust emissions in an Automotive Engineering class for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University.

Articles

• U.S. Copyright Office Releases New Guidance on Copyrightability and Artificial Intelligence
• USPTO Releases New Guidance on AI-Assisted Inventions
• The Novice Tries AI: A Cautionary Tale
• Self-Driving to Patentable Subject Matter