McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 15, 2018 announced MBHB partner Emily Miao, Ph.D. as a recipient of the 2017 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate in recognition of individuals who help make the Patent Pro Bono Program available to financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses. In 2017 more than 85 volunteer patent practitioners reported 50 or more hours of patent pro bono service to a regional patent pro bono program. To acknowledge their contributions, USPTO provided certificates and listed their names and employers on the Patent Pro Bono Program website.
MBHB is proud to be an official sponsor of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Patent Hub. The Chicago-Kent Patent Hub is a program created to facilitate the placement of qualified, under-resourced inventors with the pro bono legal assistance of licensed patent attorneys. Pursuant to its sponsorship, MBHB patent attorneys will be providing pro bono legal assistance to qualified inventors.
The continued efforts of patent practitioners across the country have strengthened the success of the Patent Pro Bono Program since 2015. To date, more than 1,500 patent professionals have volunteered their availability, time, and resources to help make the Patent Pro Bono Program a success. In 2018, USPTO will expand its recognition to include law firms and corporations in addition to individual patent practitioners. Those whose registered practitioners cumulatively contribute a minimum number of hours (based on firm size) to one or more participating regional patent pro bono programs may receive the 2018 Law Firm and Corporate Achievement Certificate. view details here