Kate DeVries Smith

Kate helps businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals related to intellectual property, especially applying for and obtaining patents, analyzing infringement issues, managing patent portfolios and other intellectual property counseling. She has put her physics background to work with mechanical and electrical devices, software systems, medical devices, consumer products, and optical films and structures. Kate also has broad experience with issues related to design patents. Kate advises clients regarding U.S. patent filing strategy, foreign patent filing strategy, clearance searching, patentability searching and infringement analysis.

Prior to co-founding Pauly, DeVries Smith & Deffner, Kate was a partner at the law firm of Merchant & Gould, where she practiced law for 9 years. During her undergraduate years, Kate’s internships at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory honed her ability to grasp complex technologies and to work with scientists and engineers of diverse areas of expertise.

Kate performs Pro Bono housing law work through the Volunteer Lawyers Network and serves on their board of directors. The Volunteer Lawyers Network named Kate the 2005 Volunteer Lawyer of the Year. Kate has also been repeatedly named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics.

Education
Drake University
B.S., Physics, cum laude, 1993
University of Michigan Law School
J.D., cum laude, 1996

Bar Admissions
Minnesota State Bar, 1996
Minnesota Federal Bar, 1997
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 1998

Professional Affiliations
Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association
Minnesota Women Lawyers

Kate DeVries Smith
Kate helps businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals related to intellectual property, especially applying for and obtaining patents, analyzing infringement issues, managing patent portfolios and other intellectual property counseling.

Contact:
kds@pdsdlaw.com

Direct Dial:
(612)746-4784