Press Releases

CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Start! program. In addition, Brinks joins an elite group of American employers that have been selected for the Workplace Fitness Innovation Award for creating and facilitating new, innovative ways for employees to stay healthy. Start! is the AHA's national campaign that works with employers in America to cultivate a workplace that encourages physical activity as a way to enhance employee's quality of life.

Platinum level recognition is awarded to employers that fulfill criteria such as promoting healthy eating, encouraging the incorporation of physical activity into everyday life and demonstrating measurable outcomes for workplace wellness. Brinks offers its employees heart healthy lunches, a designated firm workout space open to all, wellness programs and seminars on eating and living healthy, including discussions on domestic violence, cholesterol control, sleep disorders and stress management. Training classes offered by the firm include Weight Watchers sessions, yoga, power walking and a firm-sponsored program for commuters who ride bicycles to work.

Brinks president Gary M. Ropski is currently a member of the Start! Metro Chicago Heart Walk Executive Leadership Team and was instrumental in creating the firm's annual "Wellness Week," started in 2006, as a way to promote health and fitness awareness throughout the firm. 2008 marks the second year that the firm has participated in the annual Start! Metro Chicago Heart Walk, raising money for heart disease research.

Since 1924, the American Heart Association has helped protect people of all ages and ethnicities from the ravages of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, the nation's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and other cardiovascular diseases claim nearly a million American lives each year.

The association has invested more than $439 million for research, professional and public education and advocacy. For more information on the Start! program, visit www.americanheart.org.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five additional 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 and brand names for a wide variety of products and services.