MGB Launches Cleantech and Renewables Industry Group
Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP announces the launch of its Cleantech and Renewables Industry Group, the first intellectual property-specific practice of its kind in the Chicago metropolitan area. Chaired by intellectual property veteran and partner Richard Hoffman, the group integrates nearly 20 attorneys and professionals from multiple practices to meet the legal and business demands of clients involved with technologies aimed at environmental stewardship.
“We believe our formalization of this IP-intensive industry group marks a first in the Chicago IP legal market. While others may practice generally in the ‘green’ space, we have a strong presence and deep history in cleantech and renewable technologies, specifically in understanding the hard science behind these innovations,” said Jeff Sharp, managing partner of Marshall Gerstein. “As demand for environmentally responsible products and services continues to grow, so does the need for thoughtful counsel for securing, defending, enforcing and transferring the technologies behind them. We’ve pooled our internal resources into this group, bringing clients the hybrid technical, business and legal know-how for success in this competitive space.”
The Firm’s Cleantech and Renewables Industry Group offers an interdisciplinary approach to patent prosecution, litigation, licensing, trademarks, transactions and other intellectual property matters. The group’s capabilities extend from green workbench to green manufacturing and marketplace, across the full technological range, including fuel cells to recycling processes; renewable energy to waste recovery systems; and green chemicals to biomass processing.
For years now, attorneys and professionals in the firm have handled matters falling within these emerging sustainable areas. Providing additional foundation for this new group, Marshall Gerstein has handled significant technology transfer work for universities and research organizations, the sources of many cleantech developments. As a result, the firm’s attorneys are well versed in the broad spectrum of clean, green and renewable technologies and work daily to stay at the forefront of advancement in the science and sustainability industries.
“We share the growing concerns for the environment and this industry group reinforces the firm’s dedication to sustainable issues,” added Hoffman. “Our attorneys have the technical and legal experience in the scientific disciplines that drive the development and commercialization of green technologies. The new group further enables us to focus our client services in this area, providing complete solutions for our clients’ business needs.”
The industry group handles a range of cleantech clients, from industry leaders to academic research institutions, start-ups, emerging growth and development state technology companies, companies facing clean energy concerns, and research and development joint ventures. The group represents these clients in various cleantech and renewable intellectual property issues, including biofuel/biomass, stripper well pumping technology for extending oil production, vehicle modifications for alternative fuels, cogeneration process enhancements and many other matters.