Pictured from left to right: Elizabeth Jolliffee, a member of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly; Kelly K. Burris, a shareholder at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione; and Kathy Kakish, former chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly.

ANN ARBOR - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that Kelly K. Burris, a shareholder in the firm's Ann Arbor office, is a recipient of the 2009 Unsung Hero Award from the State Bar of Michigan. The Unsung Hero Award was presented at a ceremony held on September 17, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency, Dearborn, during the State Bar of Michigan's Annual Meeting.

Ms. Burris, a pilot since 1984, was honored for her long-time volunteerism with Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic and Angel Flight Central, part of the Air Charity Network. She serves on a variety of missions, transporting people with medical conditions who are unable to fly commercially to and from medical appointments, carrying medical supplies and also transporting military personnel and their families.

Ms. Burris is also a significant fundraiser for Angel Flight. She raised $12,000 and $25,000 respectively in 2008 and 2009 as part of her participation in the Air Race Classic, an all-female aviation race that dates back to 1929 and famed pilot Amelia Earhart. Ms. Burris won the Air Race Classic this year, beating 34 other teams on the 2,700-mile race from Denver, Colorado to Atlantic, Iowa. She and her co-pilot donated the $5,000 top prize to Angel Flight Central.

"I am honored and excited to have received the Representative Assembly's Unsung Hero Award," said Ms. Burris. "I view this award as a symbol of our dedication to our profession and its mission to assist those less fortunate and to recognize charitable organizations that are making real differences in people's lives - both for the donors and the recipients."

When she's not flying, Ms. Burris focuses her legal practice on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in the mechanical, material science and electrical arts.

Ms. Burris is a resident of Ann Arbor. She received her J.D. from Saint Louis University, a Master of Science degree in material science and engineering from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Western Michigan University. Ms. Burris also served as an adjunct professor at Ave Maria Law School in Ann Arbor.

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 180 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.