Left to right: Derek Minihane, Marcus Thymian, Leif Sigmond, Mike Gannon
CHICAGO - Led by skipper Leif Sigmond, a partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, the United States team earned a first place victory when they crossed the finish line in the 2010 Patent Cup sailing regatta held June 3-6 off the island of Marstrand in Sweden. The crew consisted of Marcus Thymian and Michael Gannon, both partners at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, and Derek Minihane, in-house counsel at Cochlear Limited.
The race courses were on the west side of the island of Marstrand. An additional "fun" race was held where the boats raced around the island of Marstrand. In the five races that the U.S. team participated in, the team earned four first place finishes and a second place finish. In addition, the U.S. team won the round-the-island race.
Twelve teams representing various countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as several teams from the European Patent Office and several teams composed of international sailors, competed in this competitive, but friendly, sailing race. The regatta was held in J/80 sailboats. All of the boats were identically rigged. Second place this year went to the Canadian team, and third place went to one of the European Patent Office teams.
This was the fourth time that Sigmond participated in the Patent Cup. In 2006, he and Gannon were part of the team that earned the first-ever first place United States victory in the Patent Cup. Sigmond's team also placed third in both the 2008 and 2009 regattas. Thymian and Minihane were also part of the 2008 and 2009 teams and Gannon participated in 2008.
"Representing the United States in this international regatta was an honor for our whole team," said Mr. Sigmond. "Participating in this regatta over the years has provided the opportunity to meet many great people in the global patent community and make life-long friends. The important thing is participating, not winning."
"We were blessed with terrific weather and Marstrand is a wonderful sailing venue" commented Mr. Gannon. "I really enjoy traveling to different places each year and meeting with my fellow patent colleagues."
Established in 1989 by two friends, a German patent attorney, Peter Franck, and a French patent attorney, Frederic Benech, the Patent Cup was created to foster camaraderie and help cultivate strong relations among patent attorneys from around the world as well as provide opportunities for new sailing venues. According to the Patent Cup charter, each sailing boat must have a crew consisting primarily of patent professionals. Every year the race is held in a different country with the host country responsible for the organization, terms and conditions of the race, the boats chosen and all other arrangements for the event. Next year's regatta will be hosted by the Canadian team.
About McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP is the official law firm sponsor of the 102nd Race to Mackinac, which will be held in Chicago in late July. An intellectual property boutique with 75 attorneys, MBHB was founded in 1996 and has offices in Chicago and Washington. MBHB provides comprehensive legal services to obtain and enforce our clients' intellectual property rights, from navigating patent office procedures to litigating complex infringement actions. MBHB prosecutes patent and trademark applications in both the U.S. and abroad, handles intellectual property litigation matters in trial and appellate courts across the country, and counsels clients nationwide and worldwide on the enforcement and defense of their intellectual property rights.
About Cochlear Limited - ASX: COH
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. It has a
dedicated global team of 2,000 people who deliver the gift of sound to the hearing impaired in over 100 countries. Its vision is to connect people, young and old, to a world of sound by offering life enhancing hearing solutions. Cochlear's mission of "Hear now. And always" embodies the company's commitment to providing its recipients with the best possible hearing performance today and for the rest of their lives. Over 25 years Cochlear has helped over 200,000 people either hear for the first time or reconnect them to their families, friends, workplaces and communities.