Press Releases

CHICAGO – Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is pleased to announce the Tenth Edition of Patents and the Federal Circuit by Cynthia A. Homan, Charles M. McMahon and the late Robert L. Harmon. The new edition, recently published by BNA books, is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Harmon, a former Brinks partner who completed the First Edition in 1987. Mr. Harmon’s periodic updates to Patents and the Federal Circuit during the last two decades have left a lasting impact on patent attorneys and the practice of patent law at the Federal Circuit. Ms. Homan, Mr. McMahon and their colleagues are honored that Mr. Harmon entrusted the Tenth Edition and future updates to Brinks, where Mr. Harmon spent most of his legal career.

Patents and the Federal Circuit has become a preeminent reference guide, with insights on every patent law decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The book includes both high-profile cases, as well as less widely celebrated decisions, archiving cases into an analytical framework that reveals their true significance to the future of patent law.

Recent developments and changes covered in the new edition of Patents and the Federal Circuit include:

• The Supreme Court's Bilski decision and the Federal Circuit's developing reaction, which continues to shape the boundaries of patentable subject matter.
• The Federal Circuit's decisions in i4i v. Microsoft, SEB v. Montgomery Ward and Stanford v. Roche, and the issues currently pending before the Supreme Court in these cases.
• Continuing developments in the standards for injunctive relief following the Supreme Court's eBay decision.
• The state of false patent marking litigation in the wake of the Federal Circuit's Stauffer and Pequignot decisions.
• Willful infringement after the Federal Circuit's en banc decision in Seagate.
• The en banc Ariad decision, which reaffirms the written description requirement of 35 U.S.C. § 112 as being separate and distinct from the enablement requirement.
• Continuing coverage of the Federal Circuit's oversight of district courts on venue transfer motions.
• The en banc Princo decision and the standards of patent misuse.
• Pharmaceutical patent litigation at the Federal Circuit, with expanded coverage of the Federal Circuit's decisions concerning the Hatch-Waxman Act.
• Reorganized and updated treatment of claim construction law at the Federal Circuit.

Cynthia Homan writes briefs on substantive and procedural issues relating to all aspects of intellectual property law, with an emphasis on summary judgment and appeal briefs. She also has litigated patent, copyright, and trademark cases and has counseled clients on licensing matters.

Charles McMahon counsels domestic and multinational clients and litigates on their behalf in the areas of patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition law, appearing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. International Trade Commission, various U.S. District Courts, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Assisting Ms. Homan and Mr. McMahon on the Tenth Edition of Patents and the Federal Circuit were Brinks associates Laura A. Lydigsen and Raquel C. Rodriguez. Ms. Lydigsen formerly was a law clerk to Judge Schall of the Federal Circuit, and Ms. Rodriguez clerked with Brinks while attending law school.

Click here for more information or to purchase a copy of the book.

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., Raleigh, N.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, and Washington, DC. More information is available at www.usebrinks.com.