Press Releases

ANN ARBOR -Kelly K. Burris, a shareholder with the Ann Arbor office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., was selected by Comcast Newsmakers for a brief feature to discuss her efforts with Angel Flight, which resulted in receiving the Unsung Hero award from the State Bar of Michigan this fall. Comcast Newsmakers is a Michigan-produced feature that hosts community leaders and elected officials and airs throughout the state as a regional cut-in on CNN Headline News. The interview with Ms. Burris is scheduled to run several times each day on the CNN channel throughout Michigan between January 11 and January 17, 2010.

A pilot since 1984, Ms. Burris was honored by the State Bar of Michigan for her long-time volunteerism with Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic and Angel Flight Central, part of the Air Charity Network. She serves on a variety of volunteer missions, transporting people with medical conditions who are unable to fly commercially to and from medical appointments, carrying medical supplies and also transporting military personnel and their families.

Ms. Burris is also a significant fundraiser for Angel Flight. She raised $12,000 and $25,000 respectively in 2008 and 2009 as part of her participation in the Air Race Classic, an all-female aviation race that dates back to 1929 and famed pilot Amelia Earhart. Ms. Burris won the Air Race Classic this year, beating 34 other teams on the 2,700-mile race from Denver, Colorado to Atlantic, Iowa. She and her co-pilot donated the $5,000 top prize to Angel Flight Central.

Ms. Burris focuses her legal practice on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in the mechanical, material science and electrical arts. She received her J.D. from Saint Louis University, a Master of Science degree in material science and engineering from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Western Michigan University. Ms. Burris also served as an adjunct professor at Ave Maria Law School in Ann Arbor.

Ms. Burris is a resident of Ann Arbor.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five additional offices across the country, including Ann Arbor, serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with 180 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks and brand names for a wide variety of products and services. For more information, visit www.usebrinks.com.