October 14, 2008

Barbara Fornasiero
barbara.eafocus@sbcglobal.net
248.651.7536

ANN ARBOR - Lawrence G. Almeda, a shareholder in the Ann Arbor office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., has been recognized by Corp! magazine in its annual Salute to Diversity. Mr. Almeda, who was acknowledged in the 2008 Diversity Business Leader category, was honored today along with his fellow winners at a breakfast event held at the Troy Marriott.

Mr. Almeda is a federally appointed member of the State Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Asian Pacific American Affairs; Chair of the Business Law Section of the Washtenaw County Bar Association and a member of its Board of Directors; Assistant Regional Governor of the Central Region for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the immediate past President of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He is also a member of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce, where he serves on the Global Strategic Committee. Mr. Almeda was recently named President-elect of the ACJ, American Citizens for Justice (also known as the Asian American Center for Justice).

At Brinks, Mr. Almeda chairs the firm's Nanotechnology Group and his legal practice focuses on patent opinions and prosecution in the medical, chemical, nanotechnology and alternative energy fields. He earned his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where he was a published member of the Law Review, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. Additionally, he holds an L.L.M in Intellectual Property Law from The John Marshall Law School.

Mr. Almeda is a resident of Canton.

The mission of Corp! magazine, founded in 1998, is to inform, intrigue and entertain business owners and top level executives by providing business features, news and profiles with a Michigan emphasis. For more information, please visit www.corpmagazine.com.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five additional offices across the country, including Ann Arbor, 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 and brand names for a wide variety of products and services.