Washington, DC – May 20, 2022 – The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recognized Cooley with a 2021 Patent Pro Bono Achievement certificate, which highlights individuals and law firms that have volunteered significant time and effort to help financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses protect their ideas. Partner Scott Weston and patent agent Felipe Guzman also were recognized.

"Fostering access to our innovation ecosystem is critical to inclusive innovation and to bringing that innovation to impact for the good of all Americans," Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Kathi Vidal said in a news release. "The cost of hiring legal representation to protect one's intellectual property should not be a barrier to access. I am incredibly grateful to all the recipients for their commitment and great work. Through efforts like theirs, we can create a system that will incentivize all Americans to innovate with the hope and dream that they can bring those innovations to impact, bettering their lives and the lives of all Americans."

The USPTO's Patent Pro Bono Program is a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs that match volunteer practitioners with inventors for the purpose of securing patent protection. In 2021, the Patent Pro Bono Program surpassed its previous volunteer participation record, with more than 125 patent practitioners reporting 50 or more hours of patent pro bono service to a regional patent pro bono program. In addition, 23 corporations and law firms contributed significant hours to one or more participating regional programs, assisting with 250+ pro bono patent applications filed with the USPTO in 2021.