Press Releases

CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that Jacob C. Bachman, an attorney at the firm, with assistance from former summer associate Carolyn Rowe, successfully defended a Chicago woman in an eviction lawsuit filed by her landlord. Mr. Bachman took the woman's case on a pro bono basis through the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF) of Metropolitan Chicago under the guidance of Brinks attorney Christopher A Harkins.

When the woman refused to pay her rent until various code-violating conditions were addressed, the landlord served her with an eviction notice. The Brinks team filed a motion to dismiss for failure to provide the required five-day notice, stating that the landlord did not properly disclose that rent was due and owing, as required. Mr. Bachman counter-claimed for retaliatory eviction and breach of the implied warranty of habitability.

Further, under the Freedom of Information Act, the Brinks team discovered various building code violations associated with the woman's apartment and provided sufficient evidence of the landlord's neglect. Three months after the lawsuit was filed, Brinks obtained a court-ordered agreement which provided the woman with a waiver of all rents due and an additional time for her to relocate her belongings.

Mr. Bachman focuses his intellectual property law practice on patent prosecution and litigation. This case marks his first pro bono win.

The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago has been helping people in need since the late 1960's. Based in Chicago, LAF provides free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly individuals in Cook County and the Chicago area. For more information, please visit, www.lafchicago.org.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is headquartered in Chicago with five 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 170 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.