Celebrating International Women’s Day As part of International Women’s Day and since this is the 50th Anniversary of the National Inventors Hall of Fame we thought it would be fitting to recognize the following women who have been inducted into this prestigious organization: Mary Anderson-Windshield Wiper; Lynn Conway-Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI); Margaret E. Knight-Machine for Making Flat-Bottom Paper Bags; […] Read Post →
Beware of Spoofed Calls That Impersonate the USPTO Scammers have recently started calling trademark customers and falsely claiming to be an employee with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The scammers use a tactic called “spoofing,” where they will trick phone networks into displaying a name, number, and location different from their actual name, number, and location. They’re trying to trick […] Read Post →
Celebrating George Washington Carver Day Today has been designated as George Washington Carver Day in Iowa and what a fitting tribute to kick off Black History Month in February. Born into slavery in Missouri around 1864, Carver sought higher education in Iowa, at Simpson College and then Iowa State University. He was Iowa State’s first black student, earning both bachelor’s […] Read Post →
Thank You for a Great Year As we close out 2022 and look forward to 2023, we would like to share some of the highlights of MVS over the past year. With video becoming a more important part of business communications, MVS embarked on the creation and completion of several videos that included a firm overview, attorney spotlight videos for Luke […] Read Post →
Celebrating Technology Transfer Professionals Day Today we celebrate Technology Transfer Professionals Day that honors those individuals that work to help universities and research institutions advance their critical discoveries to a final product or service. The day was chosen since it was the anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act, that was enacted on December 12, 1980, and was instrumental in encouraging universities […] Read Post →
Heidi S. Nebel Named Vice Chair of the USPTO Patent Public Advisory Committee McKee, Voorhees & Sease is very excited to announce that Heidi S. Nebel, Managing Partner and Chair of the MVS Chemical and Biotechnology Practice Group, has been named Vice Chair of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC). The PPAC was created by statute in the American Inventors Protection […] Read Post →
MVS Wins Trademark Case at the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals MVS is pleased to announce that the Eighth Circuit affirmed Tuesday a lower court ruling, in our client’s favor, that threw out Pocket Plus’s trademark suit against Running Buddy over a competing waistband pouch, agreeing that the asserted trade dress is functional and thus not protected by trademark law. The three-judge panel’s published opinion upholds […] Read Post →
Luke T. Mohrhauser to be the Next Managing Member of MVS We are excited to announce that Luke T. Mohrhauser has been elected to be the next Managing Member of McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC., succeeding Heidi S. Nebel. Luke’s term begins on January 1, 2023. “I am honored to have been chosen by my fellow Members to be the next leader of MVS,” said Luke. […] Read Post →
MVS Celebrates World Intellectual Property Day 2022 McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC is excited to support World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2022. This day celebrates the role intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity and the many inspiring inventors and creators around the world who are working to provide for a better tomorrow. The theme for this year’s […] Read Post →
Bruce W. McKee Retirement Tribute On February 28, 2022, Bruce W. McKee officially retired after a long and illustrious career at the law firm that bears his name, McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. Bruce practiced law for nearly 60 years where he established himself as one of Iowa’s premier intellectual property attorneys. Bruce was born in 1934 and grew up […] Read Post →
Heidi S. Nebel Receives the Prestigious Iowa Biotech Leader Award MVS is thrilled to announce that Heidi S. Nebel, Managing Partner and Chair of the MVS Chemical and Biotechnology Practice Group, received the Iowa Biotech Leader Award for 2022 for her accomplishments and significant achievements in biotechnology. Heidi received the award during the Iowa Biotech Showcase and Conference. This award is given by the Iowa […] Read Post →
Highly Respected Intellectual Property Attorney Kevin M. Kercher Joins McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC MVS is excited to announce that Kevin M. Kercher, a highly experienced and successful patent attorney, has joined the firm. Kevin, who is a registered patent attorney, will be bringing his significant engineering and intellectual property experience to serve clients in a number of industry and university sectors. Kevin’s vast experience includes preparation and prosecution […] Read Post →
Edmund J. Sease Retirement Tribute On December 31, 2021, Edmund J. Sease officially retired after a long and illustrious career at the law firm that bears his name, McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. Ed practiced law for 55 years where he established himself as one of the premier intellectual property attorneys in the country. He also taught and mentored students […] Read Post →
Heidi S. Nebel Appointed to the USPTO Patent Public Advisory Committee MVS is very excited to announce that Heidi S. Nebel, Managing Partner and Chair of the MVS Chemical and Biotechnology Practice Group, has been appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, Gina M. Raimondo, to the prestigious United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC). Heidi was sworn in on December 15th […] Read Post →
MVS Recognized Again By Best Lawyers “Best Law Firm” Rankings as a Top Law Firm McKee, Voorhees & Sease is proud to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® for their “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 rankings in Des Moines for Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation, Patent Law, and Trademark Law. Firms included in the 2022 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional […] Read Post →
Michael H. Anderson, Ph.D. Joins McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC MVS is pleased to announce that Michael H. Anderson, Ph.D. has joined MVS as Senior Counsel. Michael will bring his significant legal experience in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, primarily in the biotechnology field. “We are excited to have Michael join MVS as part of our Chemical and Biotechnology practice group. Michael has […] Read Post →
Edmund J. Sease Conceives and Coordinates Important Drake Law Review Spring 2021 Intellectual Property Special Edition Issue MVS is pleased to announce that Edmund J. Sease, intellectual property attorney and named partner, conceived and coordinated the Drake Law Review Spring 2021 Intellectual Property Special Edition Issue dedicated to controversial and timely patent law topics. This publication includes articles that are authored by several prominent people in this field of law including: Honorable […] Read Post →
MVS Supports World Intellectual Property Day 2021 McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC is proud to support World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2021. This day celebrates the role intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity and the many inspiring inventors and creators around the world who are working to provide for a better tomorrow. The event was established by […] Read Post →
MVS Collaborating with BioConnect Iowa on the Iowa Go-To-Market (G2M) Accelerator Program MVS is pleased to announce that we are working with BioConnect Iowa, an organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Iowa’s bioscience sector, on the Iowa Go-To-Market Accelerator Program. The Iowa Go-To-Market (IowaG2M) Accelerator Program, a partnership between BioConnect Iowa, the Iowa State University Startup Factory, and VentureNet Iowa, seeks to provide follow-on support for […] Read Post →
Charles P. Romano, Ph.D. Joins McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC MVS is excited to announce that Charles P. Romano, Ph.D. has joined MVS as a Senior Patent Agent. Charley, who is a registered patent agent, will bring over 30 years of biotech industry experience and doctorate in biochemistry to serve clients in the biotech industry and university sectors. “Charley has worked for Monsanto and in […] Read Post →
Heidi Nebel Meets with Biden Harris Transition Team for Department of Commerce Heidi S. Nebel, Managing Member of McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC (MVS), and recently elected Board of Directors Member for AUTM, is meeting with the Biden Harris transition team that oversees the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The transition team includes a review committee for the Department of Commerce and has reached out […] Read Post →
Heidi S. Nebel Appointed to the National Plant Variety Protection Board The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the appointment of Heidi S. Nebel, Intellectual Property (IP) Attorney, Managing Member, and Chair of the Biotechnology & Chemical Practice Group at McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC, to serve on the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Board. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the PVP […] Read Post →
MVS Attorneys Successful in Fighting Institution of Inter Partes Review MVS is proud to announce that it was successful in fighting the institution of Inter Partes Review (IPR) for its client Putco, owner of Patent No. 9,995,473. IPR is a third-party challenge to a patent’s validity and is heard before the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office […] Read Post →
A New Look for MVS McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC is excited to introduce a fresh new look for our firm that highlights a new logo, the use of a modern and vibrant color scheme, updated firm materials and a new website. “The new branding reflects the unparalleled intellectual property expertise, professionalism, and exceptional client service that has been the […] Read Post →