Press Releases

CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that seven attorneys have been newly selected as Leading Lawyers in Illinois by the Leading Lawyers Network. The attorneys are: Michael P. Chu, John T. Gabrielides, Christopher A. Harkins, Joseph V. Norvell, Jonathan E. Retsky, Marc V. Richards and Mary M. Squyres. With the addition of the seven, Brinks now has a total of 42 Leading Lawyers in the intellectual property law category.

Leading Lawyers lists are compiled by the Leading Lawyers Network, a division of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. The lists are the results of thousands of contacts with Illinois lawyers who are surveyed about which of their peers they believe comprise the top lawyers in the state. Attorneys cannot nominate attorneys in their own firms. Brinks has the most intellectual property lawyers listed as Leading Lawyers of any Illinois law firm.

Here are the newest Leading Lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property Law.

Michael P. Chu focuses his practice on all aspects of patent law, including litigation, opinions and prosecution. His litigation practice includes patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright matters, including appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Chu also regularly handles domestic and international licensing matters. Mr. Chu is the Immediate Past-President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and will be named president of the NAPABA Law Foundation later this year. He also sits on the boards of the Asian American Institute, the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and is a recent Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.

John T. Gabrielides' practice includes all aspects of trademark, unfair competition, false advertising and copyright law, including litigation before federal courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He also has experience in counseling, licensing and litigation relating to patents.

Christopher A. Harkins concentrates on litigation and patent prosecution. He has litigated in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark, tort and contracts, has prosecuted patents in the mechanical arts and medical devices, and has authored articles on copyright law. In addition, his experience has included drafting the firm's pro bono policy, serving as Committee Vice Chair of the firm's award-winning pro bono program, as well as representing many pro bono clients through the firm's pro bono program and by Court-appointment.

Joseph V. Norvell serves as Chair of the Copyright Group. Mr. Norvell specializes in trademark, copyright and unfair competition law and has significant experience in the following areas: federal court litigation; proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; Internet domain name disputes; alternative dispute resolution; corporate trademark licensing; franchising; publishing; intellectual property audits; the design and development of corporate trademark enforcement programs; and United States and international trademark and copyright prosecution.

Jonathan E. Retsky is the Chair of the Intellectual Asset Management Group. He is a patent lawyer whose practice includes both litigation and patent preparation and prosecution. He specializes in computer software and hardware litigation and protection. He has also led and conducted technology transfer due diligence, drafted opinions of counsel regarding infringement and validity, and engaged in client counseling. From 2000 to 2004, Mr. Retsky was the Corporate Vice President and Director of Patent Operations at Motorola, Inc., where he managed Motorola's worldwide Patent Operations and Defensive IP Litigation.

Marc V. Richards focuses his practice on patent prosecution, preparation, licensing and client counseling. His practice includes both U.S. and international patent matters in pharmaceutical, chemical and software technologies, and he drafts license agreements, joint research and development agreements, and performs non-infringement and invalidity studies. He also advises clients on strategic development of patent portfolios.

Mary M. Squyres is the Chair of the International Trademark Group and manages an eight-person team and more than 20,000 active trademark files. Her practice includes international trademark litigation, licensing and prosecution, including determination of international filing strategies, negotiating worldwide mutual co-existence agreements and effective enforcement strategies to defend marks and prevent infringements.

The following Brinks attorneys are also named Leading Lawyers:

Meredith Martin Addy
Glen P. Belvis
Joel W. Benson
Jack C. Berenzweig
Rodney A. Daniel
Timothy Q. Delaney
Jeffery M. Duncan
Thomas J. Filarski
David S. Fleming
William H. Frankel
John C. Freeman
Ralph J. Gabric
Kent E. Genin
Jerome Gilson
Raymond W. Green
Jeffery A. Handelman
Roy E. Hofer
Cynthia A. Homan
Jerold A. Jacover
Harold V. Johnson
Richard A. Kaplan
Bradley G. Lane
Richard G. Lione
John K. Lucas
Robert S. Mallin
Laura Beth Miller
Michael E. Milz
James P. Naughton
G. Peter Nichols
William F. Prendergast
Gary M. Ropski
Steven P. Shurtz
Gustavo Siller, Jr.
James R. Sobieraj
Dominic P. Zanfardino

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with four 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.