HFZ Gives Back As Part of Move to New Downtown Offices

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, LLC this fall changed addresses in downtown Chicago, moving into new offices in the CME Center.

This LEED Gold certified building along the Chicago River was redeveloped in 2020 and features a state-of-the-art fitness center, a 15,400-square foot clubhouse with river views, a lounge, library, bar area, multi-purpose game room, and conferencing areas. The CME Center also houses multiple eating options: a sit-down restaurant with a great view of the river, a convenient walk-up service counter, and a pop-up food stand highlighting food from a rotation of local Chicago chefs and eateries, among other choices.

The move gives our firm a brighter space to work in and new energy as we look ahead to 2024. While HFZ offers hybrid and flexible work options, this new space is ideal for in-person work, conveniently located near all major public transportation lines.

As part of the move, HFZ donated office furniture, a large cache of office supplies, desk chairs, and dry erase boards from its former space to Chicago Hope Academy, a private college preparatory high school on the city’s west side.

Said Gail Clark of Chicago Hope: “We are so appreciative of the donation and the ability to better our spaces for our students because of the generosity of your organization!”

HFZ’s new address is: 10 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 3500, Chicago, IL 60606.

HFZ’s James Flight Featured in IAM’s Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2024

James (Jim) Flight, a founding member of Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, is featured in IAM’s Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2024, a publication that showcases intellectual property professionals who innovate, inspire, and go above and beyond to deliver value for clients

Jim was eligible for inclusion among the Global Leaders because he was chosen to IAM’s Strategy 300 earlier this year through an editorial process that included peer nominations, research and source interviews. From that group, IAM selected its Global Leaders, acknowledging IP professionals from across in-house, private practice, and service provider roles who merit special attention for their expertise and experience in creating, protecting, managing, transacting, and enforcing critical patent rights.

This is the second straight year Jim has been chosen to the Global Leaders list. Also this year, Jim, fellow HFZ founders Mark Hanley and Mark Zimmerman, and the firm were ranked in this year’s IAM Patent 1000, an annual guide to the world’s leading patent law firms and individuals.

HFZ’s James Flight Is Once Again Featured Among IAM’s Strategy 300

James (Jim) Flight, a founding member of Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, was selected for the second straight year to the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists.

The IAM Strategy 300 identifies “individuals who are leading the way in the development of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.” The list comprises leaders from a variety of arenas, including service providers, corporations, research institutions and universities. Areas of specialty range from brokering to valuation; Jim is listed in the Legal category.

The roster of honorees was compiled through an editorial process that requires at least three peer nominations, plus independent research and source interviews with members of the global IP community. More information on the methodology is available here.

Earlier this year, Jim was also featured in the IAM Strategy 300: Global Leaders publication, which acknowledges leaders from across in-house, private practice and service provider roles in IP.

HFZ’s Michael Zimmmerman Selected to Best Lawyers in America® Guide for Patent Law

Michael Zimmerman, a patent attorney with Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, is included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® released today. This honor places Michael among the top lawyers in the Chicago area for patent law.

Every year Best Lawyers analyzes more than 13 million lawyer evaluations to compile its rankings, which are based on peer review and feedback. More information about Best Lawyers’ methodology is available here.

HFZ’s Mark Hanley and Mark Zimmerman Named 2023 “Patent Stars” by IP STARS

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman Co-Founders Mark Hanley and Mark Zimmerman have been honored as “Patent Stars” in IP STARS’ annual guide to the top intellectual property attorneys in Illinois and nationwide in the United States.

More information about HFZ’s honors is available on IP STARS.

The annual IP STARS rankings are compiled during a six-month research process performed by Managing Intellectual Property’s team of analysts. The methodology evaluates expertise, market intelligence and feedback from clients and competitors. Read more about the selection process here.

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman and Firm’s Co-Founders Ranked In IAM Patent 1000

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman as well as firm co-founders Mark Hanley, James Flight, and Mark Zimmerman have been ranked in the 2023 edition of the IAM Patent 1000, an annual guide to the world’s leading patent law firms and individuals.

Along with the co-founders, IAM listed HFZ among its recommendations for patent prosecution in Illinois: “The team has particularly deep expertise in the electrical, computer and software fields. It is an excellent firm for US patent preparation and prosecution, and it has some big names on its roster of clientele. It is a top IP outfit and its practitioners provide straightforward and effective solutions that help to achieve patrons’ goals.”

HFZ’s complete Patent 1000 profile is available here.

The Patent 1000, published by Law Business Research, uses qualitative research, including interviews and written submissions, to select top firms and individuals. More information about the methodology is available here.

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman Among Top 5 Large Law Firms for Best Patent Quality

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman is honored to be recognized among Patent Bots®, top 10 large patent law firms in its fourth annual Patent Quality Rankings. HFZ ranked fifth in the 2023 rankings, another reason why HFZ is trusted by the best companies to protect their innovations.

In conducting its analysis, Patent Bots reviewed more than 300,000 patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the past year and ranked firms who issued at least 500 patents in the last calendar year based on the average number of errors in their patents.

HFZ moved up in this year’s large law firm ratings from eighth last year. See the full list at Patent Bots®.

Hanley Flight & Zimmerman Ranks Among the Top Patent Issuing Law Firms In 2022

The numbers are in and Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, LLC ranked among the most prolific law firms in the nation for U.S. patents issued last year, according to recently released data compiled by Harrity Patent Analytics.

HFZ ranked 80th among law firms and corporate patent departments for total U.S. utility patents issued in 2022. With so many U.S.-based clients, HFZ ranked even higher for U.S. patents issued from patent applications whose first filing occurred domestically. In that U.S.-first filing category, HFZ ranked 36th for the most utility patents issued in 2022.

Showing its deep expertise across several technology areas, HFZ ranked even higher in the U.S.-first filing category in four USPTO Technology Centers. Specifically, in that category, HFZ ranked:

  • 14th for most patents issued in USPTO Tech Center 2600 for Communications technologies.
  • 15th for most patents issued in USPTO Tech Center 2400 for Computer Networks, Multiplex, Cable and Cryptography/Security technologies.
  • 29th for most patents issued in USPTO Tech Center 3600 for Transportation, Electronic Commerce, Construction and Agriculture technologies.
  • 31st for most patents issued in USPTO Tech Center 2100 for Computer Architecture, Software and Information Systems technologies.

Previous data published by the Intellectual Property Owners Association in collaboration with Harrity Patent Analytics, showed that HFZ represents six of the Top 25 U.S. companies who earned the most granted patents from the USPTO in 2022 — meaning 24% of the top U.S. patenting entities look to HFZ for representation in protecting their valuable inventions.

HFZ Clients Featured in Top 300 Patent Owners Report, Including 6 of Top 25 U.S. Companies

The annual list of the Top 300 entities who were issued patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office has been released, and once again it shows Hanley Flight & Zimmerman is trusted by the best.

According to data published by the Intellectual Property Owners Association in collaboration with Harrity Patent Analytics, HFZ represents six of the Top 25 U.S. companies who earned the most granted patents from the USPTO in 2022 — meaning 24% of the top U.S. patenting entities look to HFZ for representation.

HFZ clients in the Top 25 are Intel, Ford, General Electric, Texas Instruments, Boeing and VMWare.

Other HFZ clients also appearing in the Top 300 include Deere, Emerson Electric, Abbott Laboratories and Nielsen Holding PLC.

Congratulations to all of HFZ’s great clients for their outstanding showing in leading the world in innovation.

HFZ’s James Flight Featured in IAM’s Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2023

James (Jim) Flight, a founding member of Hanley Flight & Zimmerman, is featured in IAM’s Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2023, a publication that showcases the top experts in intellectual property across the world.

IAM says Jim “understands IP strategy from a multitude of perspectives. He is fantastic at assisting businesses of all sizes in determining the commercial value of their intangible assets and then creating plans for building solid portfolios.”

Jim also participated in a Q&A; the full version is available here. Here is Jim’s response to one question: Could you name something that is characteristic of your practice that is not common in the industry?

“Hanley Flight & Zimmerman’s practice stands out because we proactively consider trends in the case law and prepare and prosecute patent applications with an eye on those trends,” Jim said. “Many firms simply do what they have always done and are relatively detached from the evolving legal landscape. In contrast, our firm is focused on constantly developing the best techniques to secure patents that are likely to withstand challenges in the future.

“We also spend considerable time thinking through our strategies to make sure our clients’ patents cover the marketplace activity that aligns with their business interests, and that infringement of our clients’ patents can be detected. At the end of the day, patents are business tools, and we prepare and prosecute patents to be leveraged to meet our clients’ needs in a cost-effective manner.”

The IAM Strategy 300 identifies “individuals who are leading the way in the development of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios.” The list comprises leaders from a variety of arenas, including service providers, corporations, research institutions and universities. Areas of specialty range from brokering to valuation; Jim is listed in the Legal category.

The roster of honorees was compiled through an editorial process that includes peer nominations, research and source interviews. More information on the methodology is available here.