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CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property firms in the U.S., recently announced that Justin B. Rand, an attorney at the firm, has secured a victory for an immigrant woman who had been abused by her husband, a U.S. citizen. Mr. Rand, one of the firm's many attorney volunteers, accepted the pro bono case through the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF). He prepared and won a petition on behalf of the woman under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which provides a method for immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence to obtain lawful permanent residency without involving their abusive spouses.

In order to qualify under VAWA, a petitioner must submit evidence proving that the spouse is a U.S. citizen; that the marriage is legally valid and was undertaken in good faith; the petitioner has good moral character; and that there is abuse in the relationship.

In this particular case, the woman entered the U.S. with her father and subsequently married her husband, a U.S. citizen. The husband developed a drinking problem that escalated during the woman's pregnancy and continued after the birth of her child. As his drinking problem progressed, the husband became increasingly violent towards the woman and her child and she eventually obtained an order of protection against her husband.

Although the husband had begun proceedings to obtain lawful permanent residency for his wife, without the aid of a VAWA petition, the woman and her child would have had to remain with her abusive husband until the completion of the process which could take years.

With Mr. Rand's assistance, the VAWA petition and the appropriate adjustment to her residency status allowed the woman to obtain lawful permanent residency, without fear of deportation, until she can eventually apply for full U.S. citizenship.

Mr. Rand, an intellectual property lawyer at Brinks, has undertaken several VAWA cases on a pro bono basis through the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. His intellectual property practice focuses on all aspects of patent prosecution and litigation in the mechanical and biological fields. He has experience prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical and biological fields, as well as in the preparation of opinion letters.

For more than 30 years, the Legal Assistance Foundation has been providing free legal aid to residents of Cook County. LAF provides advice to individuals on their legal rights; negotiates settlements; and represents clients in court in individual cases as well as complex cases which has set legal precedents affecting thousands of individuals. For additional information, visit www.lafchicago.org.

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.