Press Releases

CHICAGO – The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification for Commercial Interiors to intellectual property law firm Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, for the firm's Salt Lake City office at 222 S. Main, Utah’s first LEED Gold-certified high-rise.

LEED for Commercial Interiors is the green benchmark for the tenant improvement market. It is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, that are less costly to operate and maintain and that have a reduced environmental footprint.

“Building green, conserving resources, and reducing pollution has been a top priority for Salt Lake City in recent years,” said managing partner Steven P. Shurtz. “Brinks is not only committed to helping protect innovations in green technology, but is also committed to incorporating sustainable practices into its own business.”

Brinks' winning this award was the result of proactive construction initiatives that addressed water efficiency, energy, indoor air quality, transportation and material use and reuse prior to the construction of the Salt Lake City office. Brinks received a total of 51 points towards its Silver Certification, which included seven points for “Alternative Transportation-Public Transportation Access,” six points for “Water Use Reduction” and five points for “Green Power.”

The architect was Method Studio, a full-service architectural and design firm in downtown Salt Lake City, and the contractor was design-build firm Bonneville Builders. Both firms have well-known LEED-accredited professionals with expertise in sustainable design and construction.

Salt Lake City's high-rise 222 S. Main, located in the middle of Salt Lake City's financial and court district, was designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. The structure stands 22 stories high and contains over 425,000 square feet of retail space, as well as more than 9,000 square feet on the main level.

The green technology practice group at Brinks has experience with creating, protecting and commercializing valuable intellectual property assets for its clients' green innovations. Brinks represents clients in areas as diverse as green chemistry, renewable energy, electric vehicles and waste remediation. Brinks also sponsors the annual Brinks Innovation Competition, a leading competition that connects clean-tech innovators with sources of much-needed capital to help their companies grow.

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. Brinks is based in Chicago and has offices in Ann Arbor, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind., Research Triangle Park, N.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, and Washington, DC. More information is available at www.usebrinks.com.