Hovey Williams Sponsors The 10th Anniversary Ebony Rose Scholarship & Awards Gala
This signature black tie event will take place on November 4, 2023 at the Kansas City Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom and is hosted by The National Congress of Black Women – Kansas City Chapter (NCBW-KC) a non profit organization committed to empowering and uplifting the Black community. The year 2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Ebony Rose Scholarship & Awards Gala that acknowledges community members and organizations for the work they do in Kansas City, and awards educational scholarships to high school graduating seniors and adult students. Ivani Bing and Shay Moore of Kansas City’s Top 40 radio station 107.3 KMJK, will Co-Host this popular event. Speakers include Dr. Contessa Metcalfe, of Married to Medicine TV show and Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant HUD Secretary. The Gala’s theme this year is “Dream Big. Sparkle More. Shine Bright!” and includes a cocktail reception, 3-course dinner, live music, plus a live auction and a unique shopping opportunity. We are proud to support this gala and our Partner, Tracy Bornman will attend and represent Team Hovey.
Hovey Williams Proudly Supports KCMBA’s 2023 Unity Event
October 19, 2023 – Diversity is one of the greatest strengths of any community. We believe in the power of inclusivity and acceptance and proudly sponsor Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Unity Event in Kansas City. Representing Team Hovey at this years event were our attorneys, Andrew Colombo, Jaclyn Alcantara and Kenzie Lawrence. They joined KCMBA and the area’s diversity bar associations to celebrate diversity and inclusion in our legal community.
Hovey Williams Attorneys Secure Victory in Defending Client’s Patent from IPR Challenge
October 4, 2023 – Hovey Partners Crissa Cook and Scott Brown recently successfully defended client, Ventria Bioscience, Inc. in a second consecutive inter partes review (IPR) challenge to its patents covering recombinant proteins and cell culture media products.
The petition for IPR was first filed by Wuhan Healthgen Biotechnology Corp. in March 2023 alleging that Ventria’s U.S. Patent No. 11,492,389 was invalid. Wuhan sought to invalidate Ventria’s patent after the International Trade Commission blocked import of certain of its recombinant protein products for infringing another of Ventria’s related patents. On Monday, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) declined to institute inter partes review of the ’389 patent indicating that Wuhan’s challenge was unlikely to succeed on the merits. This was the second consecutive win following a successful defense of a related patent owned by Ventria last year.
Winning such challenges not once but twice underscores Hovey Williams’ exceptional legal expertise and commitment to protecting our client’s intellectual property rights. This achievement not only reaffirms the validity of Ventria’s patents but also reinforces our reputation as a go-to legal partner for companies facing patent challenges. This triumph is a testament to the diligence and dedication of our legal team and the innovative spirit of Ventria. “We are thrilled to have secured another resounding victory for Ventria, defending their patents for the second time in a row. This victory reaffirms our commitment to protecting our clients’ intellectual property rights and reflects the depth of knowledge and experience within our firm,” Crissa Cook said.
Overland Park, Kansas – Hovey Williams LLP will host its 2nd Annual Intellectual Property Bootcamp for diverse undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students to spark their interest in intellectual property as a potential career path (e.g., patent agent or attorney) or provide foundational tools to protect their own innovations.
This full day event, facilitated by Hovey attorneys Jaclyn Alcantara and Dianne Smith-Misemer, is scheduled for Friday, September 29th in our office in Overland Park, Kansas from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Last year’s inaugural Bootcamp was very successful and filled up quickly, so we brought it back by popular demand and are making this an annual event. The agenda includes intellectual property presentations, interactive breakout sessions and a career panel discussion.
This year, we are excited to have a special guest speaker, Molly Kocialski, Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO.
The IP Bootcamp, co-founded by Jaclyn Alcantara and former Hovey Associate Denise Dantlzler, is aimed at increasing diversity in the patent law profession. They were motivated in part by learning that “…there are more patent attorneys and agents named ‘Michael’ in the United States than there are racially diverse female patent practitioners” – (https://lnkd.in/gtB8-bPC ). Their Bootcamp idea was met with enthusiasm and support from the Partners. “Seeing our vision become reality was one of the most satisfying experiences of my career,” Jaclyn said. “We are thrilled to have Molly Kocialski, Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional USPTO, as our guest speaker. She is high energy and a very popular and engaging presenter,” Jaclyn continued.
Applicants selected for this free program will be exposed to the realm of patents and trademarks, particularly through introductory sessions and hands-on learning opportunities facilitated by Hovey attorneys. Breakfast, lunch, and networking opportunities will also be provided. Space is limited, to apply, submit resume and cover letter briefly stating why you are interested in intellectual property law to: [email protected] by the August 31st deadline. For more information visit hoveywilliams.com.
Hovey Williams LLP, an intellectual property boutique law firm and world leader in intellectual property protection, has a 94-year track record of protecting our clients’ patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other intellectual property in virtually every major business sector. We assist clients locally, nationally, and internationally with the full range of intellectual property issues. We represent established companies, startups, and individual inventors across a wide range of industries.
Hovey Williams Ranked Among Top 25 on Kansas City Business Journal’s Law Firm List for 2023
We are pleased to announce that our intellectual property boutique law firm is listed in Kansas City Business Journal’s (KCBJ) Top Area Law Firms list for 2023. The list of rankings is based on local number of attorneys and provides an in-depth look at the largest and most influential players defining our local economies. We have an extremely talented and broadly diversified legal team that is focused solely on intellectual property law. Our lawyers work with clients nationally and internationally in a wide range of technical fields.
A world leader in intellectual property protection, Hovey Williams has a 93-year track record of protecting our clients’ patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other intellectual property in virtually every major business sector. Our attorneys represent established companies, startups, and individual inventors across a wide range of industries. We also work with referring attorneys to assist their clients with a wide variety of intellectual property needs. Our clients appreciate our emphasis on clear communication, personal attention, and efficiency in finding cost-effective solutions.
To learn more about our ranking on Kansas City’s Law Firms List, click here. Note that a subscription to KCBJ may be required to access the complete list.
Security
The confidentiality and security of your information is extremely important to us. We were recently informed that a cybersecurity attack gained access to a limited part of our information technology infrastructure. Working with outside cybersecurity experts, we immediately isolated the impacted environment and successfully contained the incident from involving the core of our network. We also reported the attack to law enforcement. We have provided notifications to affected clients and, in coordination with the cybersecurity experts, have implemented specific steps to safeguard against future unauthorized access to our network.
Robert Dean Hovey, retired partner, longtime leader, and son of Hovey Williams’ founder, dies at the age of 91
We are sad to announce that Robert (Bob) Hovey, retired Hovey Williams Partner, passed away on December 11, 2022. Bob is the son of C. Earl Hovey who founded Hovey Williams in 1929 with Roy Hamilton, just weeks before the stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression.
Bob was born on September 9, 1931, and educated in Kansas City public schools. He attended Ripon College in Wisconsin and was a 1954 graduate of The University of Kansas, where he later served a
s Lecturer in Law. In addition, Bob was a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force from 1954-56 and served as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s Office in Greenville, South Carolina.
In 1956, Bob joined the firm, followed by Warren Williams in 1957. Bob took over leadership of the practice in May of 1959 after his father was killed in a car accident. For more than 50 years, Bob and Warren continued Hovey Williams’ tradition of helping innovative individuals and businesses protect and secure their unique products and ideas, and grew the firm into the successful, thriving intellectual property practice it is today. Bob retired from the practice of law in 2006, fittingly on the 50th anniversary date of his joining the firm founded by his father.
In 2020, Bob, along with the firm, established an award fund at the University of Kansas School of Law to support law students interested in pursuing a career in IP law. The Hovey Williams Award for Inclusion and Diversity in Intellectual Property encourages first- and second-year students from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in intellectual property law.
Bob was a pillar in the history of our firm. Although he has been retired for more than a decade, he continued to participate in firm events and remained a close friend to many of us. He will be deeply missed.
Bob Hovey 1931-2022