Intellectual Property AcquisitionsNews

Prominent Intellectual Property Law Firm to Merge with Dinsmore

September 1, 2015News Releases
Effective September 1, 2015, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is pleased to announce a merger with Michigan-based Intellectual Property (IP) boutique firm, Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C. (Gifford Krass). Building off the momentum from the firm’s mergers with Peck, Shaffer & Williams in 2014 and Huddleston Bolen in February, Dinsmore moves to strengthen its presence in the Midwest and deepen its bench of IP attorneys.

Gifford Krass is based in Detroit, MI and has offices in Ann Arbor, MI and Mystic, CT. With roots stretching back to 1917, Gifford Krass is a prominent name in the Great Lakes State. The nearly 100 year-old firm features an established intellectual property practice with experience handling all areas of IP.

“Last year, we expanded our national footprint with offices in Chicago and Denver, and given the firm’s presence in the Midwest, Michigan was the logical next piece of the puzzle,” said George H. Vincent, Dinsmore’s Managing Partner & Chairman. “Combining with Gifford Krass complements the deep talent we currently have in the IP area and makes geographic sense as we broaden the scope of services for our clients.”

The merger adds 17 attorneys and 32 professional staff to the firm. With the addition, Dinsmore’s IP Department now includes more than 75 attorneys (including more than 50 patent attorneys) ranking Dinsmore in the nation’s top 50 firms based on number of patent attorneys, according to rankings compiled by IP Today.

“This merger only solidifies our already strong IP Department,” said Joshua Lorentz, Dinsmore’s Chair of the IP Department and IP Litigation Practice Group and member of both the firm’s Board of Directors and Finance Committee. “The ability to service clients is a priority, and our continued growth demonstrates that commitment.”

“We’re pleased to be merging with a firm whose history is as deep and rich as our own,” said Tom Anderson, Gifford Krass Shareholder. “This enables us to offer new and existing clients a full-service platform. The opportunity to partner with Dinsmore’s nationally recognized IP practice couples well with our depth of experience.” Anderson will serve as the managing partner of Dinsmore’s Detroit, Ann Arbor and Mystic offices following the merger.

With the merger, Dinsmore will have 600 attorneys and locations in 20 cities throughout Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The firm provides a broad range of integrated services to meet the needs of both large and small businesses as well as institutions, associations, governments, professional firms and individuals. For more information, please visit www.dinsmore.com.