Media Coverage
Source: Texas Lawbook
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
08.16.24
In an interview with Texas Lawbook, Intellectual Property counsel Chad Hammerlind discussed his pro bono experience in the Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, or TALA, program, which partnered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) in 2016.
The TALA program is a nonprofit that provides pro bono accounting and legal services to all individuals—regardless of economic status—seeking to progress a career in the creative industries. Following the partnership, the program’s services were extended to inventors.
Hammerlind has helped eight pro bono clients with their patent applications for inventions through the TALA program.
“All of these inventors are just regular people and they don’t know what the process is,” Hammerlind said. “I want to try to help them as much as possible and encourage them to keep [working on their ideas] because that’s what drives innovation.”
The most recent patent Hammerlind has secured was for technology that would allow manned, electric aircrafts to vertically take off and land (VTOL) on water surfaces for HazelAero, an electric aircraft design company. Notably, HazelAero’s invention “has not been publicly attempted before in history,” according to CEO Dominique Mojay, who is developing the technology in Seoul, South Korea.
In a conversation surrounding the costs of securing patents, Hammerlind said “[the TALA] program…really does bring in the opportunity to allow individuals that don’t have the means—usually in different demographic groups that are really underrepresented in the patent program.”
“It’s usually wealthy individuals and corporations that can afford getting a patent, so this program helps some other individuals build wealth and get the chance to build some assets. If lawyers can commit to one [patent] application a year … if everyone just chipped in a little, it would help out [more] individuals,” he concluded.
To read the full article, click here.
Pillsbury’s pro bono mission focuses on access to justice, the protection of civil rights and aid to the indigent. Pillsbury’s pro bono practice is as varied as the lawyers’ interests. In addition to high-impact litigation, the firm provides basic legal services to the poor, including those facing eviction or in need of affordable housing. Pillsbury represents refugees seeking asylum, victims of domestic violence and veterans in administrative proceedings. The firm also counsels nonprofit and community organizations on their legal issues.