Press Releases

CHICAGO – Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that shareholder, Jerome Gilson, and co-author, Anne Gilson LaLonde, are recipients of the 2006 Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Achievement in the law firm category for their article, Cinnamon Buns, Marching Ducks and Cherry-Scented Racecar Exhaust: Protecting Nontraditional Trademarks, which was published in the July/August 2005 issue of The Trademark Reporter, Volume 95, Number 4 (Matthew Bender & Company). This is an impressive third consecutive time that Mr. Gilson and Ms. LaLonde have won this notable award for excellence in legal writing.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is also receiving the William C. Burton Record of Distinction Award. This award recognizes the accomplishment of three consecutive wins by attorneys at a law firm as a direct reflection of the highest quality of legal writing at the firm. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on June 12, which will be held in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Gilson’s career in trademark and unfair competition law has spanned four decades. He is admitted to practice law before eight federal Courts of Appeals and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He has handled numerous trials and appeals before the federal courts and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, as well as provided counsel to a cross section of the country’s largest and most prominent corporations and famous brand names. Since 1999, Mr. Gilson and Ms. Gilson LaLonde, an attorney and his daughter, have produced several prominent written works in trademark law, including the 2004 Burton Award-winning, The Lanham Act: Time for a Face-Lift and The Madrid Protocol: Trademark Superhero? They are also the authors of the highly respected, oft-cited treatise, Trademark Protection and Practice (Matthew Bender & Co.), a supplemented 11-volume standard reference work, which provides a comprehensive coverage of trademark law.

"We are proud of our partner Jerry Gilson and congratulate him on this significant achievement,” said Brinks president Gary M. Ropski. “His contributions to the field of trademark law and to our firm are truly outstanding. This exceptional recognition is another highlight of his extraordinary career.”

Now in its seventh year, this national industry award program, which is run in conjunction with the Library of Congress and its Law Library, annually acknowledges and rewards concise and effective legal writing by partners in law firms and by law students. Founded by lawyer and author, William C. Burton, the Burton Foundation, is a nonprofit, cultural and academic organization.  The Foundation and The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement are devoted to further promoting the stature of the legal profession.

The Burton Awards Program receives nominations from managing partners of the nation’s 1,000 largest law firms and from professors at academic institutions, representing every geographic region in the U.S. This year, of all the submissions received, there were only 30 awards presented. More information about The Burton Awards can be found at www.burtonawards.com.

 Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with three other offices across the country serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with more than 150 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks or brand names for a wide variety of products and services.