February 25, 2008—Lee & Hayes grows practice, builds strong foundation with new attorneys.

Spokane, Washington - Lee & Hayes, pllc, is pleased to announce the newest additions to join the firm over the past several months to both the Spokane and Seattle offices. These additions bring a wide breadth of experience that will continue to foster and grow the patent procurement, patent analysis and transactions group practices.

Prior to joining Lee & Hayes Benjamin Keim served as a Legal Intern for the USPTO, Intellectual Ventures, Apex Juris, and Nakamura & Partners in Tokyo. Benjamin holds a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Science degrees in Technical Communication and Technical Japanese from the University of Washington. He was the recipient of the Blakemore Fellowship, while he studied at the Inter-university center for Japanese Language StudiesP.

David Sakata was previously an associate at Garrison & Associates, PS in Seattle, WA and worked with Quantum Intellectual Property Services in Bellevue prior to joining Lee & Hayes. While pursing his L.L.M., he externed with the patent litigation group at Dorsey and Whitney in Seattle and also with The Berkeley Law and Technology Group in Bellevue, WA and finally with Digital Ventures at the University of Washington.

Heather Nason joins the transactions practice group in Seattle. She previously served as in-house counsel at Expedia, Inc. and as a member of the technology and IP department at Seattle-based K&L Gates (formerly Preston Gates & Ellis). Heather is a graduate of Stanford Law School, where she was president of the Native American Law Students Association. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Chief Seattle Club.

Patent Analyst, Patrick Santos comes to us directly from the Patent Analysis Team in the Microsoft Patent Group, where he has worked on conflict matters, patent cross licensing, portfolio reviews, regulatory matters (U.S. Department of Justice), product and employment clearance, and standards work. Patrick is currently pursuing his Juris Doctorate at Seattle University School of Law and will graduate in May 2008. His experience parlays well with our Patent Counseling and Analysis projects for clients seeking those services.

Dale Mohlenhoff brings over 15 years of in-house and law firm experience to Lee & Hayes. Most recently, Dale was Director of Intellectual Property at ISR (SprayCool) and has also has industry experience as an engineer and market analyst. He holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Valparaiso University, an MBA from Butler University, and a JD from Indiana University School of Law.

Founded with the mission to be trusted advisors to the world’s leading innovators, Lee & Hayes has been recognized as an IP legal industry leader. The firm offers tailored patent, transactional, and trademark services that integrate seamlessly with a client's business objectives to transform innovation into assets.