From Hangar to Headquarters: Burris Law’s “Fly-to” Client Approach Fuels Decade of Growth

Detroit, MI, February 17, 2026: Burris Law, with offices in Detroit and St. Louis, celebrates its 10-year anniversary, marking a milestone of growth from a boutique startup into globally recognized IP counsel. Burris Law serves more than 600 clients with attorneys filing thousands of patent applications worldwide and securing more than 2,000 U.S. patents for its clients over the last decade.

Founded in 2016 by former aerospace engineer, licensed pilot, and IP attorney Kelly Burris, Burris Law has distinguished itself in the industry through a unique “fly-to” client service model that prioritizes a hands-on understanding of inventions, technologies, people, and businesses.

In the early days of Burris Law, Kelly had an “all-in” moment – selling her house and living in a hangar – to build her law firm and buy the Daher TBM 940 aircraft that she now flies to clients. That gamble paid off.

“When I started Burris Law ten years ago, I had a vision to build an IP firm founded on the principle of when you show up, when you listen, and when you understand what your clients are building, everything else follows,” said Kelly. “Our attorneys, staff, and our relationships with our longstanding clients are the reason we’re here today celebrating this proud milestone.”

Kelly refers to her Daher TBM 940 as her “secret business weapon” and has logged more than 3,500 flight hours over her 40-year flying career.

“The plane is a business asset. Being with a client in person enables us to collaborate better and deliver smarter strategies,” said Kelly. “I want clients to view us as their local counsel no matter where they are located. When a client has an innovation, I can say, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow morning,’ as if I am right down the street.”

Firm Launched in a City Known for Hard Work and Innovation

After more than two decades as an aerospace engineer and as a patent attorney at national law firms, Kelly launched her own firm in 2016. She opened the firm inside the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Detroit. “Detroit is a city of builders and innovation. It is resilient, creative, unafraid of hard work, and that spirit is baked into who we are as a firm,” said Kelly.

After the business began with just Kelly and two paralegals, Burris Law has grown into a “flight crew” of 22 attorneys and staff that provides legal services in patent preparation, prosecution, IP strategy, trademarks, IP transactions, and post-grant proceedings.
Burris Law represents Fortune 50, Fortune 100, and Fortune 500 companies, as well as mid-sized manufacturers and individual inventors, across industries including aerospace, automotive, computer networking, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, advanced materials, and consumer products, among others.

Burris Law attorneys bring diverse experience across mechanical, electrical, software, chemical, and materials science disciplines, with many attorneys working as engineers before practicing law. Attorneys’ fluencies in Chinese, Japanese, German, Bulgarian, Russian, and Spanish, enable communication with clients around the world.

“Tech is a melting pot; we represent tech companies, and innovation happens when different perspectives come together,” Burris said.

In 2025, Burris Law opened a St. Louis office, where Kelly laid her professional roots as an engineer and where she earned her graduate degrees – a J.D. from St. Louis University and an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Washington University.

“St. Louis has always been a place where innovation and aviation intersect. It’s home to world-class manufacturers, engineers, and inventors, and it’s also where Charles Lindbergh, a native Detroiter, flew the Spirit of St. Louis,” Burris said. “Expanding to St. Louis made sense for us because Burris Law is built on going where innovation happens and a great number of our clients are in the area.”

Kelly learned to fly while studying aeronautical engineering at Western Michigan University, where she still gives back as the vice chair of the WMU Board of Trustees. Kelly is also a member of the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, originally appointed by Governor Whitmer in 2019, and currently serving in her second term.

Ten Years in and Just Getting Started

Over the last ten years, Burris Law has earned many accolades from legal, business, and industry publications. Recently, Juristat ranked Burris Law among the nation’s top performing firms at the USPTO. Burris Law also ranks among the Best Law Firms® Tier 1 in Detroit in Patent Law; “Top 10 Midsized Firms” in the Patent Bots® Patent Quality Rankings; “Best Women-Led Law Firms” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly; and a “Diversity-Focused Company” honoree by Corp! Magazine.

Kelly has been honored among the “Women in Leadership” honorees by MichBusiness; as a “Leader in Law” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly; among the “Michigan Super Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters; among “Best Lawyers” in Patent Law by Best Lawyers in America®; and among the IAM Patent 1000, the world’s leading patent professionals.

Burris Law is certified as a Women-Owned Business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Burris Law is also an active member of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) and Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams (ADAPT).

As Burris Law marks its 10th anniversary, Kelly said the milestone is less about looking back and more about reaffirming what the firm stands for: showing up, understanding deeply, and building client relationships that last.

“The last ten years have proven that when you take the time to truly understand the technology and the people behind it, you get better patents, smarter strategies, and stronger partnerships,” Burris said. “Together, we’ve built something through trust, collaboration, and showing up for one another, and we are excited about the best still to come for Burris Law.”

Often referred to internally as Kelly’s “flight crew,” the Burris Team includes IP Attorneys: Bejeir Brooks, Tanya Gaylord, George Patsarikas, Erica Schaefer, Evan Sotiriou, David Spears, Li-Hua Weng, and Julie Zamler; Patent Agents: Chao Peng and Stephenie Serman; and Founder & Owner: Kelly Burris.

About Burris Law:

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2026, Burris Law is a full-service intellectual property firm providing global counsel in patent preparation and prosecution, post-grant proceedings, trademarks, trade secrets, IP transactions, and strategic portfolio development. Led by founder Kelly Burris – an aerospace engineer, licensed pilot, and IP attorney – the firm is known for its “fly-to-client” service model, prioritizing hands-on understanding of technologies. Over the past decade, Burris Law has filed thousands of patent applications worldwide, representing 600+ clients for Fortune 50/100/500 companies, mid-sized manufacturers, and individual inventors.