Founded in 2016 by former aerospace engineer, licensed pilot, and IP attorney Kelly Burris, our firm has distinguished itself in the industry through a unique “fly-to” service model that prioritizes a hands-on understanding of clients’ inventions, technologies, people, and businesses. Burris pilots her own Daher TBM 940 aircraft – which she refers to as her “secret business weapon” – logging more than 3,500 flight hours throughout her extensive 40 years of flying.
“When I started Burris Law ten years ago, I had a vision to build an IP firm founded on the principle of when you show up, when you listen, and when you understand what your clients are building, everything else follows,” Burris said. “Our attorneys, staff, and our relationships with our longstanding clients are the reason we’re here today celebrating this proud milestone.”
Burris Law represents Fortune 50, Fortune 100, and Fortune 500 companies, as well as mid-sized manufacturers and individual inventors, across industries including aerospace, automotive, computer networking, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, advanced materials, and consumer products, among others.
Founded in Detroit & Fueled by an Engineer, Licensed Pilot, & Patent Attorney
After more than two decades as an aerospace engineer and as a patent attorney at national law firms, Kelly Burris launched a Detroit-based boutique IP firm. In 2016, Burris Law was opened, inside the same building as the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office. The location represented our commitment to being close to both the innovation ecosystem, the decision-making process, and amid emerging technology.
“Detroit is a city of builders and innovation. It is resilient, creative, unafraid of hard work, and that spirit is baked into who we are as a firm,” Burris said. “We are proud to call Detroit home.”
As Burris Law has grown, so has our commitment to the Detroit community. Burris Law attorneys volunteer with Detroit area charities, and our office displays a gallery of works by Detroit artists. We also sponsor STEM pipeline programs and scholarships to create pathways for future engineers, inventors, and legal professionals. Kelly, herself, is a board member of the Detroit Athletic Club. “Impact matters to me,” Burris said. “If we’re successful, we have a responsibility to help others find their path, just like people did for me.”
After the business began with just herself and two paralegals, Burris Law has grown into a “flight crew” of 22 attorneys and staff that provides legal services in the areas of patent preparation, prosecution, IP strategy, trademarks, IP transactions, and post-grant proceedings. In 2025, we expanded our footprint by opening a St. Louis office, where Burris laid her professional roots as an engineer and where she earned her graduate degrees – a J.D. from St. Louis University and an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Washington University.
“St. Louis has always been a place where innovation and aviation intersect. It’s home to world-class manufacturers, engineers, and inventors, and it’s also where Charles Lindbergh, a native Detroiter, flew the Spirit of St. Louis,” Burris said. “Expanding to St. Louis made sense for us because Burris Law is built on going where innovation happens and a great number of our clients are in the area.”
Burris learned to fly while studying aeronautical engineering at Western Michigan University, where she still gives back as a member of the WMU Board of Trustees. Burris is also a member of the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, originally appointed by Governor Whitmer in 2019, and currently serving in her second term.
In the early days of Burris Law, Burris had an “all-in” moment – selling her house and living in a hangar – to build her law firm and buy the Daher TBM 940 aircraft that she now flies to clients. That gamble paid off. “The plane is a business asset. Being with a client in person enables us to collaborate better and deliver smarter strategies,” Burris said. “I want clients to view us as their local counsel no matter where they are located.”
Burris averages about two hundred flight hours a year to visit clients and to support various charities. “When a client has an innovation, I can say, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow morning,’ as if I am right down the street,” she said. “That ability to show up changes everything.”
Ten Years in and Just Getting Started
Over the last ten years, Burris Law has earned many accolades from legal, business, and industry publications – Best Law Firms® Tier 1 in Detroit in Patent Law; “Top 10 Midsized Firms” in the Patent Bots® Patent Quality Rankings; “Best Women-Led Law Firms” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly; and a “Diversity-Focused Company” honoree by Corp! Magazine.
Kelly Burris has been honored as a “Women in Leadership” Honoree by MichBusiness; as a “Leader in Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly; among the “Michigan Super Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters; among “Best Lawyers” in Patent Law by Best Lawyers in America®; and among the IAM Patent 1000, a list of the world’s leading patent professionals.
Burris Law is certified as a Women-Owned Business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). We are also an active member of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) and Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams (ADAPT).
Burris Law attorneys bring diverse experience across mechanical, electrical, software, chemical, and materials science disciplines, with many attorneys working as engineers before practicing law. Attorneys’ fluencies in Chinese, Japanese, German, Bulgarian, Russian, and Spanish, enable communication with clients around the world. “Tech is a melting pot; we represent tech companies, and innovation happens when different perspectives come together,” Burris said.
As we mark our 10th anniversary, Kelly Burris said the milestone is less about looking back and more about reaffirming what the firm stands for: showing up, understanding deeply, and building client relationships that last.
“The last ten years have proven that when you take the time to truly understand the technology and the people behind it, you get better patents, smarter strategies, and stronger partnerships,” Burris said. “Together, we’ve built something through trust, collaboration, and showing up for one another, and we are excited about the best still to come for Burris Law.”
Often referred to internally as Kelly’s “flight crew,” the Burris Team includes IP Attorneys: Bejeir Brooks, Tanya Gaylord, George Patsarikas, Erica Schaefer, Evan Sotiriou, David Spears, Li-Hua Weng, and Julie Zamler; Patent Agents: Chao Peng and Stephenie Serman; and Founder & Owner: Kelly Burris.