About David Oppenhuizen

I’m a USPTO-registered patent and trademark attorney based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I started out as a mechanical engineer — and that background shapes how I practice law every day.

I understand how things are built, how they work, and why the details matter. That makes me a better advocate for inventors and businesses who need someone who can actually read a set of drawings, ask the right questions, and write claims that hold up.

I’ve been doing this for nearly 20 years. Every client works directly with me — not a junior associate, not a paralegal. Just me.

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From Engineer to IP Attorney

I grew up in Grand Rapids and studied mechanical engineering at Kettering University, graduating in 2001. Kettering’s co-op program put me to work early — I spent time as a student engineer at one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, working across design, manufacturing, plastic thermoforming, metal machining, heat transfer, metallurgy, and machine vision. After graduation I went to work as a design engineer at a Michigan water heater manufacturer, where I helped develop some of the industry’s most energy-efficient tank-based water heaters.

Engineering was a good fit — but I kept finding myself drawn to the legal side of innovation. In 2003 I enrolled full-time at Michigan State University College of Law, concentrating in intellectual property. After graduating in 2006 I joined a small IP firm in the Detroit metro area, where I spent seven years prosecuting patents and trademarks before the USPTO, handling litigation matters, and learning the full scope of IP practice. In 2014 I brought my practice back to Grand Rapids and opened Oppenhuizen Law PLC.

I’ve been here ever since — running a focused solo practice, working directly with every client, and doing the kind of careful, thorough IP work that I’d want done for my own inventions.

Credentials

Education

• Juris Doctor — Michigan State University College of Law, 2006 (Certificate of Concentration in Intellectual Property)
• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering — Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute), 2001

Bar Admissions, Licenses & Memberships

• Registered Patent Attorney — U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 2007 (first registered as a Patent Agent in 2005)
• Licensed Attorney — State Bar of Michigan, 2006
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, 2006
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2007

Recognition

• Repeatedly named Top Lawyer for Intellectual Property — Grand Rapids Magazine
• Rising Star, Intellectual Property — Super Lawyers (2016, 2017)

Exemplary Work Product

Unless otherwise noted, I drafted the original application and performed all substantive work through issuance.

Utility Patents

• Trim Gauge — U.S. Patent No. 12,611,764
• Fence System — U.S. Patent No. 12,607,035
• Grading System and a Method Thereof — U.S. Patent No. 12,556,796
• Gasoline Dispenser Valve System — U.S. Patent No. 12,304,801
• Convertible Bookcase — U.S. Patent No. 12,171,332
• Modular Gage System — U.S. Patent No. 11,692,801
• Modular Furniture with Replaceable Panels — U.S. Patent No. 11,350,754
• Tire Inflation and Pressure Monitoring Tool — U.S. Patent No. 11,014,223
• Wheel Lock Indicator — U.S. Patent No. 10,906,454
• Clamp for Retaining an IV Tube — U.S. Patent No. 10,576,259
• Convertible Center Drill — U.S. Patent No. 10,549,354
• Co-Extruded Plastic Film for Use with a Vehicle Seat — U.S. Patent No. 10,493,732
• Hose End Sprayer with Multi-Size Bottle Connectors — U.S. Patent No. 10,166,559
• Bicycle Frame with Removable Down Tube Clips — U.S. Patent No. 9,708,026
• Pedal-Powered Brewing System — U.S. Patent No. 9,556,408
• Engine and Induction Generator — U.S. Patent No. 9,467,021
• Reusable Canning Lid — U.S. Patent No. 9,242,771

Design Patents

I have also obtained more than 45 design patents across a wide range of consumer products, furniture, medical devices, and industrial equipment.

Trademarks

An updated list of trademark applications and registrations can be found on the USPTO’s website. I have obtained more than 650 trademark registrations in over 40 countries.