Daily Briefs . . .

Deadlines approaching to submit nominations for major SBM?awards


Nominations are now open for six major State Bar of Michigan awards that will be presented at the September 2016 Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids. Included among these awards are the Roberts P. Hudson Award, the highest honor granted by the State Bar, is presented to commend one or more lawyers for their unselfish rendering of outstanding and unique service to the State Bar, the legal profession and the public; the Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award recognizes extraordinary governmental service; the Champion of Justice Award is given for adherence to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession; the Kimberly M. Cahill Bar Leadership Award recognizes excellence in promoting the ideal of professionalism; the John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award is presented to an educator from a Michigan law school who has elevated the quality of legal practice in the state.

The deadline for nominations for these five SBM awards is 5 p.m. Friday, February 19.

The sixth SBM award, the Liberty Bell Award, is given each year to a non-lawyer who has strengthened the effectiveness of the American system of freedom under law, in keeping with the Constitution. The deadline for this award is Monday, May 13.

To find out more about any of these awards, or to submit a nomination, visit www.michbar.org/programs/eventsaward.

 

Attorney presents at Sports and Fitness Industry Association


James Cleland, a shareholder in the Ann Arbor office of Brinks Gilson & Lione, served as a presenter at the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2016 Litigation, Regulatory & Risk Management Summit held Feb. 1-2 in New Orleans. The summit provided attendees guidance on navigating the changing landscape of legal risk and regulatory threats related to the sports and fitness industry.

Cleland, who is a member of the legal task force of SFIA, delivered a presentation entitled, “A New Weapon in the Patent Litigation Wars: Challenging Patents at the PTO Using Post-Grant Proceedings," on Feb. 2 at the summit. The session focused on the importance of inter partes review practice and how businesses in the sports and fitness industry have a new and often overlooked weapon in challenging a patent's validity. The presentation addressed how using IPRs at the Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) can be faster, reduce costs and help achieve success in patent litigation.

At Brinks, Cleland’s practice focuses on patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition litigation in a broad range of technologies.

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