ATLANTA (June 1, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with a 2021 Patent Pro Bono Law Firm Achievement Certificate for its work with regional patent pro bono program Georgia PATENTS (which stands for Pro bono Assistance & Training for Entrepreneurs and New, Talented, Solo inventors). Additionally, two of SGR’s Intellectual Property Practice professionals, Thomas Wiseman, counsel, and Ram Sabnis, Ph.D., patent agent, have been individually recognized with 2021 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificates for reporting 50 or more hours of patent pro bono service to Georgia PATENTS. Mr. Wiseman was also recognized as one of six practitioners who has contributed 50 or more hours of patent pro bono assistance to a regional patent pro bono program for five consecutive years.
The goal of the Patent Pro Bono Program is to match volunteer patent professionals with financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses for the purpose of securing patent protection. SGR was one of 23 corporations and law firms recognized in 2021. Mr. Wiseman and Dr. Sabnis were among the more than 125 volunteer patent practitioners recognized for individual pro bono achievement.
Tom Wiseman is counsel in SGR’s Intellectual Property Practice. His practice is primarily devoted to client counseling and patent prosecution, including interferences and reexaminations, in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and chemical arts. In 2017, Mr. Wiseman was recognized as an “Attorney of the Year” by the Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, which operates the Georgia PATENTS pro bono program.
Dr. Ram Sabnis is a Patent Agent in SGR’s Biotech & Chemical Patent Team of the Intellectual Property Practice. He focuses on patent drafting and patent prosecution work with an emphasis on chemical technologies. Dr. Sabnis also drafts and prosecutes U.S. and international patent applications.
In 2021, the volunteer practitioners assisted with more than 250 pro bono patent applications filed with the USPTO in 2021. Since 2015, these legal professionals have filed nearly 1,800 patent applications on behalf of their pro bono clients. To date, more than 3,400 inventors have been matched with a patent practitioner through the Patent Pro Bono Program. For more on the 2021 Patent Pro Bono Program, visit https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/record-number-practitioners-and-law-firms-helped-under-resourced-inventors.
For more information on Georgia PATENTS pro bono program, visit gapatents.org.
About the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program
Established under the 2011 America Invents Act, the Patent Pro Bono Program is a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs that match volunteer practitioners with financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses for the purpose of securing patent protection. Each regional program provides services for residents of one or more states. For more information on participating or volunteering for the program, visit the Patent Pro Bono section of the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov.
About Smith Gambrell Russell
SGR is a full service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The firm’s 270 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 45 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, construction, employment law, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, SGR has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Southampton, and Washington, D.C.