Press Releases
CHICAGO – Attorneys for Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione representing Herman Miller in its infringement case against Allseating Corporation reached an out-of-court settlement in a patent dispute over the design of Allseating’s Fluid™ chair. The dispute relates to United States patents issued to Herman Miller out if its development of the Aeron® chair. Herman Miller filed a complaint against Allseating alleging the Fluid chair infringed several patents related to Herman Miller’s popular and iconic Aeron chair. Herman Miller and Allseating have entered into a license agreement, the terms of which are confidential.
“Our client Herman Miller is extremely pleased to be able to bring the lawsuit to a successful conclusion in a very quick and efficient manner,” said Harold V. Johnson, lead counsel for Herman Miller and a shareholder at Brinks. Also on the team from Brinks were David H. Bluestone, Charles M. McMahon and Joseph A. Yosick, associates at the firm.
Herman Miller helps create great places to work by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior furnishings that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture-management and strategic consulting services, generated $1.34 billion in revenue during fiscal 2004. Herman Miller is widely recognized both for its innovative products and business practices. In fiscal 2004, Herman Miller was named recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and was again included in Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." In 2005, the company was again cited by Fortune magazine as the "Most Admired" company in its industry. Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbol MLHR. For additional information visit www.HermanMiller.com.
Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with four other offices across the country and serves the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with approximately 150 attorneys who specialize in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and Internet work, unfair competition, and technology and licensing agreements.
