Mitchell Zajac

In his practice in commercial litigation, negotiation, counseling, and transactional matters, Mr. Zajac’s experience is comprised of commercial automotive advising, including commercial vehicle, after-market, and remanufacturing; non-disclosure, joint-development, and public-private-partnership agreements in a variety of industries, including automotive, defense, and construction; product warranty and cost-recovery; product safety and compliance; emissions certification and compliance; international trade and customs, including United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) matters, Section 301 China tariffs, and Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs; and e-discovery.

Mitchell Zajac is also a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He counsels and represents clients in intellectual property (IP) matters such as complex trade secret, copyright, and patent litigation. His experience encompasses IP administrative proceedings, including patent inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, patent prosecution in the USPTO, and advising on patent portfolio development and management.

Before joining Butzel, Mitchell was an engineer at a Detroit Three automaker. In this role, he was an advocate for progress and change in a variety of functions, including powertrain and engine systems design and development; design and development engineering, including customer sourcing, quality, and design; international program, supply chain, and manufacturing management, including responsibility for vehicle chief engineering, product planning and branding; two global manufacturing facilities, supply chain management and customs, vehicle safety certification, fuel economy and greenhouse gas certification, and emissions compliance; purchasing and supplier quality, including re-writing production part approval processes (PPAP), customer tooling quality and payment; vehicle safety and regulatory compliance, both safety, working directly with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and emissions, working directly with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), and US Department of Justice (DOJ) with a focus on emissions.

Mitchell Zajac is a Shareholder practicing in Butzel’s Detroit office. He earned his juris doctor from Western Michigan University (WMU)-Cooley Law School n/k/a Cooley Law School, his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from WMU, his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from WMU, and his Bachelor of Arts in German from WMU Lee Honors College. Mr. Zajac has been recognized by several influential legal publications for his experience in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law, and Patent Litigation.

As a strong advocate for continued education and public service, Mitchell currently serves as President of the Association for Child Development, a non-profit organization facilitating millions of dollars in federal funds annually through the United States Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program. He also currently serves as Chair of Cooley Law School’s Board of Directors. He joined Cooley’s Board of Directors in 2020 and was elected Vice-Chair in 2022. Mitchell is also a member of the WMU Alumni Association Board of Directors, and a member of the WMU Lee Honors College Dean’s Advisory Board. Additionally, Mr. Zajac is a member of the Michigan Chapter of the American Inns of Court and the Detroit Bar Association.

A long-time believer in the benefits of playing sports, Mitchell enjoys spending time as a high school football coach. He was a four-year starter on the Division 1 football team at WMU and an American Football Wuerffel Award Nominee.

All Related Practice Areas

Education

Western Michigan University-Thomas Cooley Law School, J.D., Dean’s List

Western Michigan University, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Dean’s List

Western Michigan University, B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Dean’s List

Western Michigan University-Lee Honors College, B.A., German, Dean’s List

Admissions

Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan – Intellectual Property Law Section, Young Lawyers Section
• American Inns of Court, Michigan Chapter
• Detroit Bar Association
• Association for Child Development, President
• Cooley Law School Board of Directors, current Chair; former Vice-Chair
• Western Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors
• Western Michigan University Lee Honors College Dean's Advisory Board

Languages

Awards & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America® – Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation, 2023, 2024

Michigan Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2024

760 WJR/Detroit Economic Club – Rising Stars, 2023

DBusiness  – Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, Intellectual Property and Patent Law, 2021, 2023; Litigation – Patents, 2023

DBusiness – 30 in Their Thirties, 2022

Michigan Lawyers Weekly – Up & Coming Lawyers, 2020

Detroit Bar Association – One to Watch, 2019

Community & Professional

Intern to Fred Upton, Michigan Representative, Congress

Western Michigan University – published theses (2), Automotive Thermal Systems

Association of Corporate Counsel – Michigan Scholarship Recipient, 2017

Western Michigan University Football Team – Division 1, four-year starter

WMU-Cooley National Mock Trial Team – 3-time member; TILA semi-finalist

Rhodes Scholarship, Finalist, 2012

American Football Wuerffel Award – Nominee, 2011

Tau Beta Pi, Member

Phi Kappa Phi, Member; National Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award

Who’s Who Among American College Students

WMU CEAS Robert E. Boughner Outstanding Engineering Athlete Award

National Engineers Week Award (awarded twice)

Mid-American Conference Scholar Athlete

WMU Top 10 Scholar Athlete

Academic All-Mid-American Conference Selection (awarded twice)

Rothfuss German Award

WMU Outstanding Mathematics Award