I thrive on technical and legal challenges — the more complex, the better.
Many attorneys go straight from college to law school and then into the legal profession. My path was a little different.
Before I became an intellectual property attorney, I was an engineer and an entrepreneur. I have worked for large corporations and smaller ones, launched my own business, earned my own patents, negotiated multimillion-dollar contracts, and collaborated with investors and venture capitalists.
I’ve worked with a broad range of suppliers, industries, and countries over the course of my varied and lengthy career in manufacturing and design.
As a result, I bring to the table 30+ years of hands-on engineering and business experience in both the C-suite and on the factory floor. I draw on that deep well of knowledge to help you protect your intellectual property — and to advance your business.
Why doesn’t your washing machine dance all over the floor?
I was always that kid who liked to take things apart and then rebuild them. Whether it was the garage door opener or a Rubik’s Cube, I’ve always been fascinated by how things work — and how to make them work better.
That fascination naturally led me to pursue an engineering degree from Cornell University, where I studied operations research and industrial engineering. But as I looked around, I realized that there are plenty of challenges in society that aren’t just mechanical.
I became interested in entrepreneurship as well, and launched a childcare business that won the Johnson Business School Entrepreneurship Prize from my alma mater.
After college, I became a senior product engineer in high-tech automation and developed solutions for a broad range of industries, from household appliances to the aviation and automotive sectors. I worked on the recyclable space shuttle booster rocket, creating a safer, more cost-effective way to reuse rocket materials.
I also developed the first modern washing machine suspension, an innovation that can now be found in virtually any top-loading washing machine produced today. My creation is what stops your washing machine from moving around the floor as it cleans your laundry. It also saves businesses, consumers, and governments billions of gallons of water a year.
Sometimes, it does take a rocket scientist.
My decades in the manufacturing industry — which has seen its share of downturns — underlined for me the importance of protecting intellectual property, particularly when a business is under stress. I realized that my experiences as an engineer, entrepreneur, and inveterate problem-solver could help organizations protect themselves in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
I enrolled in law school to gain credentials and expertise in intellectual property law, even as I built a multi-million-dollar manufacturing division for a major German global manufacturing firm. I soon became the point person for intellectual property matters, handling patents, trademarks, copyrights, compliance, and tariff reductions.
Given the company’s worldwide presence, this work took on an international flavor, and I was soon developing and negotiating breakthrough contracts with global suppliers and multi-national firms in the automotive, appliance, healthcare, and industry sectors.
In 2014, we launched Atwater Law & Intellectual Property to bring this expertise and experience to the broader marketplace.
Throughout this adventure, my familiarity with invention, engineering, business, and legal processes has enabled me to provide an exceptional level of insight to my clients.
My measure of success is the degree to which my clients succeed. Whether you are pursuing a patent, trademark, or copyright, I will advise you with integrity on your best path forward.
When I am not prosecuting patents or protecting clients from imitators, you can find me enjoying a variety of activities in Grand Rapids, Michigan — building boats and musical instruments by hand, presiding over the board of Westminster Presbyterian Church, serving as a program captain for Odyssey of the Mind creativity competitions, volunteering as a mentor for FIRST Robotics, and supporting our local music community.
“I referred a client with a trademark issue to Stu rather than tackle it myself. Hands down, best decision I could have made! Stu and the Atwater Law team are professional, approachable, prompt, knowledgeable, thorough—and dare I say—affordable. Definitely my ‘go-to’ for everything IP.”