Seed IP Law Group has named Gary L. Tomlinson as its new Executive Director. Prior to joining Seed IP, Gary worked as the Executive Director for Seattle-based firm Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness PLLC for over 17 years, where he gained extensive management experience and established many professional relationships in the Seattle business community. At Seed IP, Gary will take on a lead role in the firm’s strategic and organizational planning and be responsible for the general management of the firm, including financial planning, personnel administration, systems and facilities. He will oversee business development, marketing, and hiring and will sit on the firm’s management and compensation committees. Gary received his B.A. (1970) and his M.B.A. (1974) from the University of Washington. We proudly welcome Mr. Tomlinson to Seed IP and we are looking forward to sharing many professional years with him.

Puget Sound Business Journal recently named Seed IP Law Group PLLC as one of “Washington’s Best Workplaces” for 2008 in its second annual survey. The program was launched last year 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 (20 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.

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 Law Group PLLC partners Frank Abramonte, Kevin S. Costanza, Dr. Stephen J. Rosenman, and Emily Woodson Wagner, along with associate attorneys Nathaniel E. Durrance and Dr. Carol D. Laherty, took part as lecturers and panelists during the 2008 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.

Seed IP partners William T. Christiansen II, William O. Ferron, Jr., Karl R. Hermanns and Richard G. Sharkey were all recently selected by Washington Law & Politics magazine as “Super Lawyers” for the year 2008. Each of these attorneys has been a multiple-year “Super Lawyer” honoree. This designation is a prestigious honor based upon peer recommendation.

Seed IP Law Group has been selected as one of the “54 Best Places to Work” by Seattle Business Monthly as part of its June 2008 cover story. The companies, which include small, medium, large and nonprofits, representing the Puget Sound area and beyond, are chosen in part for having the best management practices, great benefits and innovative perks so that employees are kept challenged and engaged.

Seed IP Law Group’s strong reputation for exceptionally high quality legal work and client service has contributed to the firm’s continuing expansion. As a result, the firm has attracted two attorneys and a patent agent during the past month. The firm’s Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Group has expanded its capabilities with the addition of Andy M. Han. The firm has also recently hired Professor Sean M. O’Connor, a specialist in intellectual property matters and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law. Professor O’Connor will be Of Counsel with the firm. Our growing Biotechnology and Chemistry Group has benefited from the addition of Patent Agent Mary Anne Mashruwala.

Seed IP partners David V. Carlson, William T. Christiansen, William O. Ferron, Jr., Karl R. Hermanns and Richard G. Sharkey were all recently selected by Washington Law & Politics magazine as “Top 40 IP Super Lawyers” for year 2008. Each of these attorneys has been a multiple-year “Top 40 IP Super Lawyer” honoree. This designation is a prestigious honor based upon peer recommendation.

Seed IP Law Group PLLC is proud to announce that William O. Ferron, Jr., Karl R. Hermanns and Richard G. Sharkey were recently selected for inclusion on the 2008 list of the best intellectual property attorneys in the United States in The Best of the U.S. The professionals included in The Best of the U.S. list have displayed an exemplary commitment to their profession, their community and to their clients. The Best of the U.S. recognizes professionals who continue their education in an effort to stay current in their chosen profession and who continue to distinguish themselves among their peers. The Best of the U.S. LLC is an independent research firm that provides a free internet search engine listing the “Best of Class” service providers throughout the United States, at www.BestofUS.com.

Intellectual Property Today magazine has ranked Seed IP Law Group at #75 in its annual “Top Patent Firms” survey. The data, gathered from reporting nationwide firms, is based upon the total amount of United States patents issued in 2006 where the law firm, or member of the firm (i.e. partner/associate), is listed as the legal representative for the issued patent. Seed IP issued 356 patents in 2007. Seed IP has consistently been among the Top 100 in this annual survey.

Seed IP Law Group has promoted Qing (Becky) Lin and Emily Woodson Wagner to partner. Becky specializes in biotechnology patent matters, including U.S. and international patent prosecution and strategic planning of patent portfolios. She earned a B.S. in Cell Biology at Lanzhou University, an M.S. in Plant Physiology at The Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she was awarded a Molecular Biology Fellowship. Becky received her J.D. (cum laude) at the University of Washington. Emily specializes in U.S. and foreign chemical patent matters, including patent procurement, licensing and strategic management of intellectual property portfolios. Emily received a B.A. in Chemistry (summa cum laude) from Bowdoin College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.