The Ann Arbor office of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is using some of the castaways of Pfizer's sinking ship to keep itself growing these days.
The intellectual property law firm is based in Chicago but has had an office in Ann Arbor since 2000. Back then it started with a modest five people, but today it boasts an office of 40 with plans to add 3-4 more each year for the foreseeable future.
But some of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione's most recent hires have been its most important. The firm brought on four patent attorneys from Pfizer when the drug-maker announced it was closing its Ann Arbor campus and skipping town. It turns out they have played a key part in diversifying the office's client base.
"They didn't want to leave the community," says Steven Oberholtzer, managing partner of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione's Ann Arbor office. "Those four service the spin-off businesses from Pfizer."
That type of pick-up is why Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione decided to set up shop in Ann Arbor in the first place. Tree Town's base in the new economy opens up a lot of opportunity for an intellectual property firm that knows no bounds. Not to mention the city's high quality of life.
"This is a very dynamic area for creativity," Oberholtzer says. "It has a very diverse economy."
Source: Steven Oberholtzer, managing partner of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione's Ann Arbor office and Lawrence G Almeda, shareholder with Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione's Ann Arbor office
Writer: Jon Zemke
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