Press Releases

ANN ARBOR – Lawrence G. Almeda, a shareholder in the Ann Arbor office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., has been named one of Michigan’s 25 Leaders in the Law by the legal trade publication Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Mr. Almeda and his fellow honorees from throughout the state’s legal community were celebrated at an awards luncheon today at the Marriott in Troy.

Mr. Almeda, who was a chemical engineer prior to becoming an intellectual property attorney, chairs Brinks’ Nanotechnology Group. Brinks Nanotechnology Group helps clients, including Michigan and nationally based FORTUNE 500 companies, academic institutions and small tech start-ups, create, protect and commercialize their innovation. Mr. Almeda also focuses on patent opinions and prosecution in the medical, chemical and mechanical arts and his practice has an emphasis on medical devices, nanomaterials, micro and nanodevices, petroleum and chemical processes, polymers, fuel cells, hybrid engines and polycarbonate glazing systems.

Beyond his legal accomplishments, Mr. Almeda, a first generation Filipino American, has a prominent leadership role in Michigan’s Asian American community. He is a federally-appointed member and Chairperson of the State (Michigan) Advisory Committee (SAC) of the U.S Commission on Civil Rights. Mr. Almeda is a Board member and Immediate Past President of American Citizens for Justice (ACJ).

Mr. Almeda was appointed in 2009 to the Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission for the State of Michigan by then-Governor Jennifer Granholm. He serves on the Executive Board of the Commission as Secretary. Mr. Almeda is Regional Governor of the Central Region for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), a past member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Asian Pacific American Affairs, and a Past President of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

In November 2010, Mr. Almeda was a presenter at a Two-City Intellectual Property Seminar hosted by Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione and CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office in China. CCPIT is China’s largest IP law firm. Mr. Almeda’s seminar topic was the value of right to use opinions and was presented in the cities of Guangzhou and Foshan, China.

Mr. Almeda earned his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where he was a published member of the Law Review, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Purdue University. Additionally, he holds an L.L.M in intellectual property law from The John Marshall Law School. Mr. Almeda is a graduate of Leadership Detroit XXVIII (2006-2007).

Mr. Almeda resides in Canton.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States and serves the intellectual property needs of clients around the world. Brinks has 150 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents who specialize in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark and copyright law. The firm also advises on issues relating to intellectual asset management, trade secret, unfair competition, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments for companies in the electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering sectors; the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and nanotechnology industries; and for companies whose work relates to Internet and computer technology law. The firm’s trademark practice works on behalf of clients who deal in a wide variety of products and services. Founded in 1917, Brinks is based in Chicago and has five additional offices across the country, including its newest office in Washington D.C. More information is available at www.usebrinks.com.