Former engineer aims for career in patent law

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

Law student Matt Chess has had two major career influences in his life—his father and his grandfather.

A career engineer, Chess’s father repaired things around the house and included his son in household projects at an early age.

“From appliances, to electronics, to the plumbing under the sink, I loved opening things up and figuring out how they worked so we could diagnose and fix the problem,” Chess says.

This passion for fixing things, paired with a proficiency in math and science, led Chess to earn a BSE in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.

He spent an undergrad semester abroad in northern Spain, an experience he calls one of the most exciting and enlightening of his life. Through the engineering program with Universidad de Navarra, he toured manufacturing facilities and gained an understanding of how other cultures view the field of engineering; and enjoyed exploring the culture of Spain with his classmates and other friends they met along the way.

“It was fascinating to be in a country with such rich history and culture that dates back far beyond that of the U.S.,” he says.

After graduation, Chess held engineering jobs at Flex-N-Gate in Allen Park and at Prefix Companies in Rochester in Oakland County.

“At both positions what got me the most excited to go to work every morning was seeing the designs my team and I had been working on for months finally get turned into reality,” he says. “Whether it was seeing automotive lighting parts come off of the injection molding press for the first time or watching a Ford F-550 be converted into a 6-row, retro style tour bus, the process of turning an idea into reality was extremely rewarding.”

But Chess also was interested in following in the footsteps of his grandfather, an attorney in New Albany, Ind.

“He always emphasized to my brother and me the importance of a good education. I admired my grandfather and felt growing up that law would be a second choice if engineering didn’t work out,” Chess says.

In his senior U-M year, Chess was pleased to discover an avenue to incorporate both careers, when a group of patent attorneys gave a series of lectures at his capstone product design section, describing their role in the product development process.

“They described the cutting-edge technologies they studied nearly every day as well as their influence on such technology through litigation,” Chess says. “After that I knew a career in patent law was what I wanted to pursue.”

Now a 1L at Detroit Mercy Law School, Chess praises his professors for doing an excellent job of maintaining an engaging classroom despite the online environment, and for continuing to challenge students on a daily basis.

“Also, I’ve gotten to know my fellow students better than I would have imagined in a virtual setting,” he says. “I can tell that it’s a great community and although I’ve only ever seen them in small boxes on a computer screen, I know they’ll feel familiar once we’re back in the classroom.”

With a career goal of working for one of the IP law firms in the Metro Detroit area, Chess was honored to receive an IP Law Fellow’s Award from the law school.

“I’m very excited to use the opportunities associated with being a Fellow to both help the community through volunteer work and to promote the field of IP Law within Detroit Mercy Law and legal education as a whole,” he says.

A lifelong resident of Oakland County—born in Lake Orion, and now living in Royal Oak—Chess has always had a lot of pride in living near Detroit.

“Growing up in southeast Michigan, I spent quite a few afternoons attending baseball games at Comerica Park with my family,” he says. “I continue to enjoy the city through sporting events at Ford Field and Comerica Park, the theatre and concerts at the Fox and Filmore, and through the many fantastic restaurants. I’m looking forward to returning to the theatre with my girlfriend once we’re finally through this pandemic.”

In the past few months, Chess has discovered a passion for cooking and for challenging himself with new cuisines and culinary techniques.

“I’ve also always been passionate about music and over the past couple years have been attempting to teach myself how to play a range of instruments, including saxophone, guitar and the keyboard,” he says. “But what I find myself doing most in the summer months is getting out on the golf course.”

Like so many others, Chess is experiencing a touch of cabin fever during this pandemic.

“The sense of never really ‘leaving’ school can be taxing, but I’ve been trying to focus on the bright side—without a commute I have a little extra time to get outside and go for walks, which has been wonderful this fall,” he says.

“What I’m most looking forward to after this pandemic is the opportunity to get together with my classmates.”



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