Marie E. Williams

Marie leverages her wide-ranging experience in intellectual property strategy and portfolio management, contract negotiation, advertising review and clearance, and litigation to comprehensively serve her clients.

Marie understands the needs of in-house attorneys; before joining Fredrikson’s Advertising, Marketing & Trademark Group, she was in-house intellectual property counsel for a publicly traded sleep and wellness technology company. Marie has experience advising business leaders about trademark clearance, registration, usage, and maintenance; copyright licensing; and patent prosecution. She has helped strategically manage trademark and patent portfolios. She has also negotiated a variety of contracts related to intellectual property ownership—including joint development agreements, professional services agreements, license agreements and research agreements—and has reviewed advertising and marketing materials for proper use of brand assets, adequate substantiation and compliance with applicable laws.

Marie also has litigation experience. Formerly an associate in Fredrikson’s Business Litigation Group, she has represented clients in state and federal court in complex disputes related to breach of contract, shareholder rights and real estate. While in-house, she assisted with patent and trademark cases and advised executives about the enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Marie also has experience in event and arts marketing. Before attending the University of Michigan Law School, she was a marketing manager for a professional symphony orchestra, where she developed and implemented marketing plans for more than 35 unique concerts each season.

A lifelong musician, Marie enjoys playing the saxophone in Minneapolis’s Northeast Community Band and growing her record collection.

Education

• University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2016, cum laude
• Ferris State University, B.S., 2012, summa cum laude

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2017
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2017

• Attorney of the Year Group Recognition, Minnesota Lawyer, 2019
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2017-2018

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
• Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2016; Associate Editor, Contributing Editor, 2015-2016
• University of Michigan Entrepreneurship Clinic, Student Attorney, 2015
• University of Michigan Community and Economic Development Clinic, Student Attorney, 2015

Community

• Minnesota Sinfonia, Past Board Member