About Stephen
Stephen Kontos brings an aggregate of engineering education and legal practice to his work in intellectual property. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2003 and finished his J.D. at Wayne State University Law School in 2008. That technical basis formed an early turn towards patent regulation.
He started his legal career in 2008 as an associate patent lawyer at Rader Fishman & Grauer PLLC, now called Fishman Stewart PLLC. There he handled patent prosecution for clients who required technical familiarity alongside legal precision. In 2013 he joined Bejin Bieneman PLC as a partner and IP lawyer, taking on broader responsibility for client counseling and portfolio work.
In 2018 Kontos released PATENTXP PLLC, serving as founder and lead IP lawyer. That duration marked a shift into managing a practice and advising clients on approach, prosecution, and enforcement issues. The workplace carried a certification as a LGBT-Owned Law Office from the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, a detail that reflects the company’s business identification.
He moved into an in-residence role in 2021 when he became head of intellectual property at VELN. The position put him at the intersection of company priorities and patent portfolio development. His day-to-day duties include overseeing prosecution, coordinating with outside counsel, and aligning patent investments with product improvement timelines.
Kontos is licensed to practice in Michigan and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. His background in electrical engineering informs prosecution work on electrical, pc, and associated technologies. He is comfortable translating complicated technical disclosures into patent claims and drafting specifications that reflect creative contributions.
Peers and clients describe his strategy as pragmatic. He emphasizes clear claim drafting, price-conscious prosecution paths, and opinions that tackle danger without overstating results. He has worked on things that required opinion work, prior art evaluation, and portfolio counseling. He has experience representing individual inventors in addition to company clients throughout different stages of growth.
Throughout his profession Kontos has moved between law company practice, private practice possession, and an in-residence leadership position. That progression gives him perspective on how agencies manage highbrow property at different scales. He currently practices patent preparation, prosecution, and highbrow property counseling at VELN.
