Seed IP Law Group was recently awarded a “Washington’s Best Workplaces” plaque from the Puget Sound Business Journal at a recognition ceremony that took place at Safeco Field on August 20. For the second consecutive year, Puget Sound Business Journal has named Seed IP Law Group PLLC as one of “Washington’s Best Workplaces.” Initially launched in 2007, the “Washington’s Best Workplaces” program was created by the Puget Sound Business Journal in order to identify and recognize the best practices in the hiring and retention of great people. After an extensive and rigorous process, which included more than 300 nominees and the completion of surveys by nominee-company employees across the state, workplaces in four different categories have been identified as “Washington’s Best”, based on their various employee benefit offerings, leadership culture and work/life balance philosophies. Representing the Puget Sound area and beyond, the finalists (21 small companies, 20 medium-sized companies, 20 large companies, and five nonprofits) best exemplify Puget Sound Business Journal’s important role in drawing attention to innovations and excellence in the management of our region’s primary and best resource: its people.

Seed IP Law Group congratulates associate attorney Mark E. Rogel on recently passing the Patent Bar Exam. He is now registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mark joined Seed IP’s Biotechnology & Chemistry Group in 2007. He received a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Washington and was awarded his J.D. from University of Washington School of Law. Mark is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association, and the Washington State Patent Law Association.

Seed Intellectual Property Law Group PLLC is proud to announce that six of its attorneys, Frank Abramonte, William T. Christiansen II, William O. Ferron, Jr., Karl R. Hermanns, Stephen J. Rosenman, and Richard G. Sharkey, have been named to the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers®, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive annual peer-review survey. For the new U.S. edition, more than 24,126 leading attorneys cast more than 2.8 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in the same and related specialties. Because of the rigorous and transparent methodology used by Best Lawyers, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” Steven Naifeh, Managing Editor of Best Lawyers, says, “We continue to believe – as we have believed for 26 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of recognition in the legal profession.”

The Center for Advanced Study and Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP) Summer Institute offers in-depth legal education and training for U.S. and international intellectual property lawyers, patent agents, post-graduate scientists and engineers, and law students. Held annually on the campus of the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, CASRIP is a two-week intensive program that teaches the fundamentals of patent prosecution, patent litigation, and technology licensing and management, from a comparative law perspective. During the CASRIP Summer Institute, a special two-day program called the High Technology Protection Summit Conference also takes place, attracting experts from around the world who discuss cutting-edge legal issues in intellectual property law and innovation. Seed IP principal attorneys David V. Carlson, Karl R. Hermanns, and Dr. Stephen J. Rosenman took part as lecturers and panelists during the 2009 CASRIP Summer Institute. Also participating was Sean M. O’Connor, Associate Professor at University of Washington School of Law, who additionally serves as the Associate Director for both CASRIP and the UW School of Law Program in IP Law & Policy. Professor O’Connor is Of Counsel to Seed IP.

For the second consecutive year, Puget Sound Business Journal has named Seed IP Law Group PLLC as one of “Washington’s Best Workplaces.” Initially launched in 2007, the “Washington’s Best Workplaces” program was created by the Puget Sound Business Journal in order to identify and recognize the best practices in the hiring and retention of great people. After an extensive and rigorous process, which included more than 300 nominees and the completion of surveys by nominee-company employees across the state, workplaces in four different categories have been identified as “Washington’s Best”, based on their various employee benefit offerings, leadership culture and work/life balance philosophies. Representing the Puget Sound area and beyond, the finalists (21 small companies, 20 medium-sized companies, 20 large companies, and five nonprofits) best exemplify Puget Sound Business Journal ’s important role in drawing attention to innovations and excellence in the management of our region’s primary and best resource: its people.

Seed IP partners Dr. William T. Christiansen II, William O. Ferron, Jr., Karl R. Hermanns, and Dr. Richard G. Sharkey were recently selected by Washington Law & Politics magazine for inclusion on its annual Super Lawyers list for the year 2009. Each specializing in intellectual property law, our selected attorneys are all multiple-year Super Lawyers honorees. Since 1991, Super Lawyers has provided a yearly listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Super Lawyers is published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country.

Julia J. Busono, a student at Seattle University School of Law, was recently awarded Seed IP Law Group’s annual Founders Scholarship. In 2003, Seed IP created two scholarships to honor its founders, Richard W. Seed and Benjamin J. Berry. Seed IP Founders Scholarships are given annually to students at the University of Washington and Seattle University Schools of Law. Seed IP seeks to annually recognize outstanding students who have a keen interest in the field of intellectual property law and who also have an undergraduate degree that qualifies him/her to sit for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Bar Exam. “We think it’s very important to train the next generation of intellectual property attorneys so that we can continue to build on the legacy started by Ben Berry and Dick Seed,” said Karl R. Hermanns, Seed IP’s Managing Partner. “Only through strong support of higher education will our country continue to be a leader in the world.”

Seed IP Law Group PLLC recently hosted a well-received cocktail reception for clients and associates attending the 131st Annual Meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA), which took place in Seattle on May 16 - 20, 2009. Over 9000 attendees, from all corners of the world, attend INTA’s Annual Meeting each year. The opportunities for networking, education, and professional development during this conference are plentiful - enabling trademark professionals to stay completely current on trademark issues, concerns, and developments. Four hundred clients, foreign associates, and INTA participants attended Seed IP’s reception at their offices in the Columbia Center, where they enjoyed the spectacular views of Seattle and Mount Rainier, along with specialty Northwestern food and drinks.

Intellectual Property Today magazine has ranked Seed IP Law Group at #67 in its annual “Top Trademark Firms” survey. The data for the survey is collected nationwide. Firms are ranked according to the number of trademark registrations issued in 2008 where the firm or individual is listed as the legal representative on the registration. Seed IP issued 297 trademark registrations in 2008.

Christopher L. Kuyper, a student at University of Washington School of Law, was recently awarded Seed IP’s annual Founders Scholarship. In 2003, Seed IP created two scholarships to honor its founders, Richard W. Seed and Benjamin J. Berry. Seed IP Founders Scholarships are given annually to students at the University of Washington and Seattle University Schools of Law. “We think it’s very important to train the next generation of intellectual property attorneys so that we can continue to build on the legacy started by Ben Berry and Dick Seed,” said Karl R. Hermanns, Seed IP’s Managing Partner. “Only through strong support of higher education will our country continue to be a leader in the world.” (View image using PDF link below.)