Patent Attorney Olinga Mitchell Joins ARS Counsel!
Patents have a massive impact on economic growth, fear has a massive impact on innovation.
Fear for your life, fear of rejection, or even fear of not being welcomed into your workspace can all have monumental repercussions on a culture’s innovation. The impact of these fears manifests in various ways for minority communities. The corollary impact is a stifling of innovation and sustained economic growth. Inclusivity and equality in the patent industry is a vital step in creating generational wealth for minority communities. Understanding and combating discriminatory and prejudicial behavior is an essential step in creating national innovation incubators more inclusive of inventors and entrepreneurs of color.
Marion Croak, a Black woman born and raised in New York, embraced her innovative nature at an early age, and created VoIP technology - serving as an instrumental example and support for the development of many other patents widely used today. ARS Counsel learns from the history of Black inventors in America, and seeks out inventors to ensure their rights are protected and enforced.
Maximizing the potential for diverse innovation throughout a society increases the probability of economic growth. A prime historical example was the establishment of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, promising equal rights and new freedoms for Black Americans. As a result, Black inventors created and patented elevators, rotary engines, a tapered golf tea, a dough kneader, a telephone system, and much more. Additionally, Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Romer demonstrated that innovation is a product of strong intellectual property rights and investments in research and development. However, Romer’s student, economist and Spelman College graduate, Dr. Lisa Cook pointed out that his innovation theory assumed that the law was enforced equally. She challenged that notion and we stand on the shoulders of giants like Dr. Cook - and never more so than in the current evolution of civic and social innovation, where we must build the technology we want to use as we build the world we want to live in. America cannot afford economically or ethically to ignore the positive effect of encouraging and enabling Black inventors involvement in the patent industry and equal enforcement of intellectual property laws.
ARS Counsel seeks to consistently challenge the lack of diversity in the patent industry and wishes for an inclusive and thriving economic environment. With this backdrop, we are proud to announce the arrival of Patent Attorney Olinga Mitchell as Of Counsel.
Elevating the client experience is a top priority for ARS Counsel. We have been working diligently to evolve and grow to offer the most cutting edge solutions to meet our clients’ needs. The addition of Attorney Mitchell to the ARS team is a sign of the firm’s continuing commitment to our clients. Attorney Mitchell has nearly a decade of experience and extensive knowledge of patent law and scientific innovation. His experience and knowledge distinguish him as a standard of excellence in the industry. He has a proven track record in all aspects of patent law, research, and advisement on product development.
Attorney Mitchell, through tedious hard work, crafted his skills to become a zealous and effective advocate. This included time at the US Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) as a patent examiner, working globally with Chimera Spice Company, and time with the Ministry of Finance for the Government of Grenada.
His engineering background and scientific fervor is uniquely linked to his upbringing in Washington D.C. and Grenada. Attorney Mitchell is a trusted legal and scientific advisor who is a resounding beacon to the possibilities of Black people in Patent Law.
Janeya Griffin, in her testimony to Congress and Karen’s Duffin NPR piece on Patent Racism both highlight an obvious truth - access to education and legal services go hand in hand with creating an environment conducive to economic growth. Attorney Mitchell represents to Black innovators everywhere that scientific inquiry is appreciated from all, and that legal representation is available for the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property rights.
The result is generational wealth that will help uplift the socioeconomic disparities communities of color combat each day. While there is no magical panacea to cure the adversity minority communities face, there are recognizable solutions which have a resounding positive effect. Intellectual property and specifically patent ownership is such a solution.
ARS Counsel is honored to have Attorney Mitchell join our team. Not just to better serve clients but serve as a reminder to any historically disadvantaged individual that they are not barred from patent law.
Please join us in welcoming Attorney Mitchell to the team!
The information cited for this publication is readily available from public sources and may be found at the following locations:
“Marian Croak: Voice Over Internet Protocols: Computing and Telecommunications” Marian Croak | Lemelson (mit.edu)
“Planet Money: Patent Racism” Patent Racism : Planet Money : NPR
Janeya Griffin: Testimony Before Congress