Bryce Pilz was named director of licensing for the University of Michigan’s Office of Tech Transfer effective July 18. 

Pilz is returning to U-M Tech Transfer where he worked closely with the licensing staff as an IP attorney from 2006-11. Pilz replaces Robin Rasor, who left U-M after 15 years of service to assume the leadership of the tech transfer office at Duke University.

Pilz was most recently affiliated with the U-M Law School’s Zell Entrepreneurship and Law clinic, which he co-founded in 2011 mentoring upper-level law students representing startup companies on intellectual property, corporate and financing matters.

“It’s a great position from which to make a huge impact because you get to touch every U-M faculty invention and figure out a way to get that into the hands of the public,” Pilz said. “I’m excited to be leading our great licensing team working within Tech Transfer to license great technologies to existing and new startup companies.”

Before working for the university, Pilz was at Kirkland and Ellis in Chicago working for clients such as Amazon, GM, Zimmer and Honeywell. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1997 and law degree in 2000 from U-M.

U-M Tech Transfer is responsible for the commercialization of university research discoveries. Last fiscal year, the office received 422 new inventions, created 164 option and license agreements and helped launch 19 startups. Pilz joins a tech transfer team that is regarded as one of the best in the country.

“Bryce impressed our interviewing team with his expertise, technical skills, interpersonal style, energy and vision. We think he is the right person for this job and it is great to have him back with our team,” said Ken Nisbet, associate vice president for tech transfer.