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Elisabeth (Bette) Muirhead
Partner
Merchant & Gould
Elisabeth (Bette) is a Partner at Merchant & Gould. Elisabeth emphasizes strategically addressing her clients’ current issues and identifying future ones before they become a problem. She practices in Merchant & Gould’s litigation practice group. Working out of the firm’s Minneapolis office, Bette’s practice centers around patent litigation and appellate work. Bette approaches each client with the goal of creating and pursuing smart strategies to protect and further the client’s intellectual property portfolios. With each new issue or challenge that arises, she looks at every angle before counseling on the best available solutions. For Bette, it is never just about resolving the most pressing issue. Instead, it is about taking a long-term approach to litigation; she ensures the steps she takes today support her clients’ future goals and needs.
The University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2016, Executive editor, Chicago Journal of International Law, 2015 – 2016
MSc Environmental Chemistry, 2009
University of Puget Sound, B.S. Biology, 2004
Recent Articles by Elisabeth (Bette) Muirhead
ITC 2025 Year in Review: A Momentous Shift, but the Impact Remains Pending
For Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), 2025 was a year of contrasts. As one example, the Federal Circuit’s long-awaited decision in Lashify, Inc. v. ITC reduced the burden for satisfying Section 337’s domestic industry requirement, under which ITC complainants must show adequate U.S. investments in practicing or exploiting the asserted intellectual property rights. But this lower threshold did not immediately result in increased Section 337 complaint filings. For much of 2025, uncertainty concerning U.S. trade policy and federal government operations likely depressed ITC complaint filings.
Upcoming Events with Elisabeth (Bette) Muirhead
Women’s IP Forum 2026
Sept. 23-25, 2026