Changing Lives with the Latest in Medical Technology

Kirsten Thomson, ’07, brings her clients’ inventions to the operating table — and beyond.

Patent attorney Kirsten Thomson, ’07, knows that changing lives can take many forms.

A native of Michigan, Thomson grew up in a technology culture driven by the Big Three and the Motor City. She studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, but Thomson knew she wasn’t destined for the auto industry.

I think that’s one of the memories I will always have, seeing the invention in practice making somebody’s life better in a really concrete way.

“After several engineering internships in the auto industry and in 3M’s patient assessment lab, I knew I did not want to be married to a single industry or technology over the course of my career,” she said. “I wanted to be exposed to new and emerging technologies across a broad range of industry with applications in different environments. And as it turns out I made the right decision because literally every day is different for me drafting patent applications for new inventions and litigating to enforce or defend against claims of patent infringement. As a patent attorney, I still use my engineering degree and am invested in technology, but I also get to write and advocate for clients, which I really love.”

Thomson started her legal career in Chicago at an intellectual property boutique McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP (MBHB LLP). She became an equity partner at MBHB in 2016. She currently serves as a member of the Compensation Committee, Chair of the Medical Device and Diagnostics Practice Group, and Chair of the Marketing and Business Development Committee.

As a partner, she splits her time between transactional work and litigation. Half of her practice focuses on patent procurement, drafting patent applications and prosecuting them with the US Patent and Trademark Office. While Thomson specializes in medical devices, she also works generally in the fields of mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications technology. She spends the remainder of her time advocating patent rights in federal courts across the country. Her patent litigation experience spans an array of technologies, including LED lighting, ceiling fans, electronic trading software, medical devices, lithium batteries, and telecommunications products.

Her role in this niche medical device area of patent law has given her a unique perspective of how lawyers can change lives.

“I had the opportunity to observe a surgeon inventor in the OR implanting a patented device in a patient in a minimally invasive procedure. To see the difference it made for somebody who would normally have a large abdominal scar and who avoided many potential complications, was very gratifying,” Thomson said. “I think that’s one of the memories I will always have, seeing the invention in practice making somebody’s life better in a really concrete way.”