NONPROFITS AND LOW-INCOME
ENTREPRENEURS
ProBoPat
A hybrid heat engine, an outdoor collapsible convection oven, a device to enable remote canine detection of illegal substances in vehicles, and ground control targets for use in aerial surveying are a sampling of the patent applications that Lowenstein lawyers filed on behalf of low-income inventors in the Mountain West in 2018.
In 2017, Lowenstein’s Utah office began accepting pro bono patent cases through ProBoPat, a program of the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver. Mi Casa launched ProBoPat in response to the 2011 America Invents Act, which encourages the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to “work with and support . . . the establishment of pro bono programs designed to assist financially under-resourced independent inventors and small businesses.” Qualified inventors who are residents of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming can receive assistance with patent preparation and prosecution through the program.
Lowenstein lawyers meet with the inventors, perform searches to ensure that the inventions are original, and prepare patent applications for their clients. Every lawyer in the Utah office participates in the program, and the team has worked on securing 17 patents for low-income inventors to date. This supplements the pro bono work of patent lawyers in the New York, New Jersey, and Palo Alto offices who collectively represented 32 clients and dedicated 670 hours in 2018 alone.
Hybrid heat engine
Rising Tide
A Fhyrs and Co. design
The assistance we provided allows her business to initiate transactions with customers who will use her designs to make their products more beautiful.
In 2018, we continued to help low-income entrepreneurs through our partnership with the Social Enterprise & Startup Law Group at NYU School of Law and Rising Tide Capital, a community development organization. The entrepreneurs who are part of this program attend workshops that teach concrete business and legal principles, equipping them to make their small businesses successful. Since 2012, we have provided legal assistance to 36 different startups, each with different missions, products, and legal needs.
One of the entrepreneurs Lowenstein assisted in 2018 was Lorna McCrave. Ms. McCrave’s company, Fhyrs and Co., is a surface pattern design studio that sells original designs to product development clients in the apparel and home décor industries. Proud of the unique designs she created through her company, Ms. McCrave wanted to assure her clients that they were receiving original works of art.
Ms. McCrave’s legal team drafted an invoice for the sale of her designs, an artwork assignment agreement to use with contractors, and a copyright assignment agreement that guarantees her designs as original. In addition, the team informed Ms. McCrave about how to incorporate the business in both New York and New Jersey. The assistance we provided allows her business to initiate transactions with customers who will use her designs to make their products more beautiful.
In 2018, we continued to help low-income entrepreneurs through our partnership with the Social Enterprise & Startup Law Group at NYU School of Law and Rising Tide Capital, a community development organization. The entrepreneurs who are part of this program attend workshops that teach concrete business and legal principles, equipping them to make their small businesses successful. Since 2012, we have provided legal assistance to 36 different startups, each with different missions, products, and legal needs.
One of the entrepreneurs Lowenstein assisted in 2018 was Lorna McCrave. Ms. McCrave’s company, Fhyrs and Co., is a surface pattern design studio that sells original designs to product development clients in the apparel and home décor industries. Proud of the unique designs she created through her company, Ms. McCrave wanted to assure her clients that they were receiving original works of art.
Ms. McCrave’s legal team drafted an invoice for the sale of her designs, an artwork assignment agreement to use with contractors, and a copyright assignment agreement that guarantees her designs as original. In addition, the team informed Ms. McCrave about how to incorporate the business in both New York and New Jersey. The assistance we provided allows her
The Acceleration Project
The Acceleration Project (TAP) is an innovative consulting firm that connects small businesses with the skills and expertise they need to grow and flourish. With a focus on providing services to minority and women-owned businesses, TAP strategically matches the knowledge of professional women, many of whom had stepped away from the workforce, with local business owners in need of expert consulting advice. As a nonprofit, TAP is able to deliver services at a rate that ensures accessibility.
In 2018, Lowenstein continued to work closely with TAP to help implement its consulting model and expand its professional services to reach even more business owners. TAP sought assistance on the development of agreements with its consultants in order to continue to attract a diverse pool of experts to join its network of professionals. Our lawyers also assisted TAP by reviewing grant agreements, vendor agreements, insurance policies, and technology licenses.
TAP consultants at work with clients Courtesy of TAP