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CHICAGO – Michael P. Chu, an intellectual property attorney and shareholder at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, received the 2011 Advocate for Diversity Award at the Diversity Scholarship Foundation’s 2011 Unity Award Dinner on November 30, 2011, at the Chicago Hilton.

The Advocate for Diversity Award recognizes the efforts of individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal community and the community at large, including embracing diversity and the ideals that diversity represents. The mission of the Diversity Scholarship Foundation is to provide scholarships, grants, and/or loans so that underprivileged and under-represented minorities are able to attend law school.

The Unity Award Dinner, now in its ninth year, brings together officers and attorney-members of participating bar associations, members of the judiciary, and deans and faculty members of Chicago-area law schools. Proceeds from the event benefit the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established by judges and lawyers dedicated to the diversity of law school student bodies and the legal community.

Mr. Chu’s practice includes all aspects of patent law relating to mechanical, digital electronics and electro-mechanical arts, including litigation, opinions and prosecution. Within his litigation practice, Mr. Chu handles patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright matters, including briefings, Markman hearings, and all aspects of discovery and settlement negotiations. His litigation experience also includes complex patent cases, design patent cases, ITC proceedings, multidistrict litigation, TRO and preliminary injunction proceedings and a strong appellate practice before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Mr. Chu is a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the NAPABA Law Foundation, and the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area. He is a Mentorship Academy mentor for the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms and is on the program advisory board for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Mr. Chu earned his J.D. from The College of William and Mary, Marshall Wythe School of Law, and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois.

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.