Firm Expands with Addition of Stephen Schaetzel

IP attorney Stephen (Steve) Schaetzel has joined Meunier, Carlin & Curfman, LLC as a Principal, adding further strength and depth to the intellectual property firm’s growing litigation practice. Steve joins on the heels of his recent colleague, Tony Askew, who brought his practice to MCC in May 2011. Schaetzel and Askew will combine their decades of experience in complex intellectual property litigation to serve their clients in Georgia and across the country as well as the firm’s expanding client base.

Launched in April 2010 by four founding principals, Meunier, Carlin & Curfman, LLC has continued to attract interest and talent from across the IP community. The addition of Schaetzel doubles the firm’s original size—now with eight attorneys, three patent agents and a professional legal support staff. The firm’s mission is to provide sophisticated intellectual property legal services in a lean, value-driven model that precisely fits the needs of corporations, universities and start-up enterprises.

“Steve has an outstanding record of success in IP litigation,” said Gregory J. Carlin, firm founder and Principal. “We are really impressed with his experience and the results he’s achieved for his clients. Steve’s a highly talented attorney with an impeccable reputation and we’re very pleased to welcome him.”

Mr. Schaetzel joins MCC from King & Spalding, where he was a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group. His experience includes involvement in more than 100 IP cases, and he has served as lead counsel before both trial and appellate courts. Mr. Schaetzel has appeared before the Northern District of Georgia and has argued complex matters before the Federal Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, the Fifth Circuit and the Eleventh Circuit.  He has obtained and defended temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, presented Markman hearings, and briefed and argued summary judgment motions. He is also a skilled and experienced representative before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, having been involved in dozens of oppositions and having served as lead counsel for the Applicant in the largest contested registration proceeding ever litigated before the TTAB and the Federal Circuit.

Steve’s most recent courtroom success has been representing the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in a copyright case involving issues of fair use in the non-profit educational context.   Among his other notable results are multi-million dollar settlement awards for clients that have included Glock (patent and trade dress infringement), BellSouth (trademark infringement, false advertising, unfair business practices) and Tommy Hilfiger (counterfeiting).

Steve has been repeatedly named to The Best Lawyers in America (Intellectual Property Law) and as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” (Intellectual Property Litigation), most recently in 2011. In addition, he is ranked by Chambers USA (Intellectual Property, Georgia, 2011) has holds a recommendation from the Legal 500 (2011) for his trademark work.

Steve previously served as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Georgia School of Law, where he taught patent law for more than 12 years and is currently a member of the adjunct faculty of Emory University School of Law. He is involved in various civic organizations, including the Northside Youth Organization (“NYO”), Georgia Tech Athletic Association, Atlanta Volleyball Association, American Junior Golf Association, EverybodyWins Atlanta, and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.

Schaetzel graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1979 with a Bachelors of Industrial Engineering and earned his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1982. He then joined Jones & Askew, an intellectual property firm. In 2000, he joined Kilpatrick Stockton as a partner. He chaired the Trademark and Copyright Team for Kilpatrick Stockton from 2002 until the fall of 2006, when he joined King & Spalding.