Press Releases

Ann Arbor - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that three attorneys from the firm's Ann Arbor office have been elected shareholders effective January 1, 2009. They are:

William R. Boudreaux - Mr. Boudreaux focuses his practice on client counseling for pharmaceutical R&D and marketing teams along the entire development timeline, including post-launch product teams and teams in early development. In addition to his counseling role, Mr. Boudreaux has extensive experience in global patent portfolio creation, legal opinions and product life-cycle planning. His experience also includes Hatch-Waxman litigation strategy and support, transactional work, appellate brief writing, and international patent procurement and enforcement. Immediately prior to joining Brinks, Mr. Boudreaux served as senior in-house counsel for Pfizer. He received his J.D. from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center and his B.S. in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University. Mr. Boudreaux is licensed to practice law in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

Kelly K. Burris - Ms. Burris focuses her practice on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in the mechanical, material science and electrical arts. She prepares clearance/freedom-to-practice opinions, drafts and negotiates licensing agreements and joint development agreements, and supports patent and trademark litigation, including client counseling, discovery, depositions and brief writing. Ms. Burris is involved in due diligence with mergers and acquisitions, transactional matters, management and administration of corporate intellectual property portfolios and policies, and strategic competitive intelligence. She is also a licensed pilot. Ms. Burris received her J.D. from Saint Louis University, an M.S. in Material Science and Engineering from Washington University and B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Western Michigan University. She is licensed to practice in Michigan and Missouri.

Bradley L. Smith - Mr. Smith focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, including patent and copyright infringement. His litigation experience encompasses a variety of industries, including software, electronics, automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and financial services. Prior to joining Brinks, Mr. Smith practiced litigation for 14 years at a large general practice law firm where he supervised jury and non-jury trials and several AAA arbitrations. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, an M.B.A., with a concentration in Finance and International Trade, from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, and a B.S., with distinction, in Agricultural & Biological Engineering, from Cornell University. Mr. Smith is licensed to practice law in Michigan.

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.