Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is pleased to announce Stephen A. Mason has joined the firm as a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group. Mason will be based in the firm’s growing Austin, TX office.

Mason’s practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling, including licensing agreements, merger and acquisition transactions, and research contracts. He brings more than a decade of experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications in a variety of technical areas, including microprocessor and memory designs, network equipment and software, semiconductors, testing and verification software, databases and storage, and mobile computing and sensor systems.

Prior to joining Michael Best, Mason worked as a patent attorney for a boutique intellectual property firm in Austin. He is also former general counsel of an Internet advertising network and is well-versed in consumer protection and privacy law in Internet transactions. Prior to establishing his legal practice, Mason gained experience in competitive intelligence and PBX provisioning software while working for a multinational telecommunications company.

Mason received his J.D. from Baylor Law School in 2003 and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1999. He is a well-respected and active member of various professional and community organizations, including service in the volunteer management of Greater Texas Federal Credit Union. He has previously served as president of both the Capital City A&M Club and the Texas Aggie Bar Association. Mason is also a member of the Texas Bar College, an honorary society of lawyers, and a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

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