Michael A. Slavin is a registered patent attorney, litigator and has been the managing partner of McHale | Slavin since its inception in 1992. Mr. Slavin has extensive experience as an advocate, successfully counseling clients in all aspects of the laws involving technology transactions, protection and exploitation of intellectual property. Mr. Slavin has represented clients in federal courts, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) including appeals, re-examinations, and interferences. Mr. Slavin also coordinates international intellectual property portfolios addressing the intellectual property areas of copyrights, trademarks and patents.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Slavin worked as a mechanical engineer for International Harvester (IH), where he designed hydraulic systems for front end loaders used in construction and mining industries. Mr. Slavin was enticed to leave IH to work for Culligan International and Arrowhead Industrial Water, two companies owned by Beatrice Foods, a Fortune 500 company. While with Beatrice Foods, Mr. Slavin worked his way up from an engineer to become an engineering manager where his group was in charge of designing and manufacturing industrial reverse osmosis and deionization ultra-pure water treatment systems used by coal fired and nuclear power plants, electronic chip manufacturers, and other large industrial applications. His work in the field expanded to numerous types of water treatment facilities including sea-water desalting plants for use in island communities, ocean front cities, and on oil platforms. In the area of fluid dynamics, his work included both city and industry treatment facilities where complex pretreatment designs were used for isolating various constituents. Mr. Slavin’s team coordinated engineering matters with legal counsel; that work convinced him how critical it was for legal counsel to understand real world industry concerns — accomplished only by working in the industry.

Mr. Slavin’s industry experience gives him a unique understanding of a client’s needs and requirements. With those needs in mind he and his experienced team are able to craft effective Intellectual Property protection on a most efficient basis. Mr. Slavin’s patent prosecution specialty includes mechanical (including medical implants), electrical-mechanical, software in view of Alice Corp vs CLS Bank, and water chemistry. His specialty in trademarks includes mark selection, branding and prosecution. The firm’s network of associates throughout the world permits seamless protection of patents and trademarks in most all foreign countries, whether filing direct or claiming priority through the Patent Cooperation Treaty or Paris Convention. Mr. Slavin is a registered patent agent for filings in Canada.

Mr. Slavin is a guest lecturer for Northern Illinois University (NIU) School of Engineering, the NIU Law School, an Adjunct Professor for the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Honors College and is on the FAU Honors College Board of Directors. He also speaks before many organizations including the Palm Beach County Business Development Board and makes CLE presentations before the Palm Beach County Bar Association and large law firms.

Of interest, Mr. Slavin is a licensed private pilot, maintains a 100 Ton U.S. Coast Guard Master’s License and is a certified open ocean diver.