Fredrikson & Byron Receives 2019 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has named Fredrikson & Byron a recipient of the 2019 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate. The certificate recognizes individuals and law firms who contributed over 100 attorney hours of patent attorney pro bono during 2019.

Major contributors to Fredrikson & Byron’s hours are intellectual property attorneys Ryan M. Spanheimer and Malissa C. Eng who provided their services through the LegalCORPS Inventor Assistance Program. Their work, along with the work of fellow certificate recipients, help to make the Patent Pro Bono Program available to financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses.

In 2019, more than 74 volunteer patent practitioners reported 50 or more hours of patent pro bono service to a regional patent pro bono program, and more than 27 law firms reported 100 or more hours. Since the inception of the Patent Pro Bono Program in 2015, over 1600 patent professionals have volunteered their time and resources to help make the program a success.

Spanheimer is a senior associate in the Intellectual Property, IP Due Diligence and Patents Groups in the Minneapolis office. His practice primarily involves patent-related matters where he focuses on acquiring patent rights that optimize the value of his clients’ inventions and evaluating patents of competitors so that informed business decisions can be made.

Eng is a senior associate in the Intellectual Property, Patents and IP Due Diligence Groups in the Minneapolis office. Her primary services include preparing and prosecuting patent applications and helping clients evaluate and optimize their patent assets.

Fredrikson & Byron is a 300-attorney law firm based in Minneapolis, with offices in Bismarck, Des Moines, Fargo, Mankato, St. Paul, Saltillo, Mexico, and Shanghai, China. Fredrikson & Byron has a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet.” Our attorneys bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to work with clients, and operate as business advisors and strategic partners, as well as legal counselors. More information about the firm is available at www.fredlaw.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @FredriksonLaw.