Fish & Richardson and California Lawyers for the Arts Host Protecting Little Guys' Big Ideas: The California Inventors Assistance Program

SAN DIEGO, February 12, 2015 - The law firm ofFish & Richardsonis collaborating with theCalifornia Lawyers for the Arts("CLA") to host a complimentary reception and interactive discussion on the California Inventors Assistance Program ("CIAP") on February 26, 2015. Registration and networking will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by panel presentation and a question and answer session from6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The event will take place at Fish & Richardson's Southern California office, located at 12390 El Camino Real,San Diego, Calif.

CIAP, established in 2013 under the "America Invents Act" by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), assists financially under-resourced independent inventors and small businesses in securing intellectual property protection by partnering with law firm lawyers, in-house counsel and pro-se attorneys with expertise in patent law. CLA was selected as the statewide administrator of the program throughout California to process pro bono intakes in conjunction with the USPTO.

The goal of the event is to provide a better understanding of the USPTO's national effort towards implementing regional patent pro bono programs for inventors, entrepreneurs and artists. Additionally, attendees will have a chance to discuss how to use the service or become involved, as well as discussing best practices for patent pro bono program management at law firms or legal departments.

Panelists
Jeffrey Siew, attorney, USPTO
Erik Metzger, senior patent attorney, Intel Corporation
Bob Pimm, chief learning officer and director of legal services, California Lawyers for the Arts

Moderator
Chris Marchese, principal, Fish & Richardson

"The patent pro bono program encourages the country's finest patent attorneys to use their skills to spur advancement and growth by supporting inventors, entrepreneurs and artists who might otherwise feel discouraged or overwhelmed, due to a lack of legal funds needed to protect their inventions or designs," said Niejadlik. "Fish is eager to bring this informative discussion to those in San Diego who drive San Diego County's economic growth through innovation."

Fish & Richardson is well positioned to educate the San Diego legal, small business and artist community about the CIAP. Since the creation of CIAP, Fish attorneys have donated over 2,800 pro bono hours on 82 pro bono matters for 53 unique CIAP clients. In 2014, Fish & Richardson was recognized for this effort by California Lawyers for the Arts, honoring Fish with its Artistic License Award.

CLA is a State Bar of California-approved MCLE provider. This program qualifies for one hour of general MCLE credit.