Attorneys

Brian J. Laurenzo

Shareholder and Registered Patent Attorney

“The attitude and environment at Brick Gentry is refreshing and unique. The combined emphasis on exceptional counsel and personal service is what attracted me to the Firm.”

Brian Laurenzo is a registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. His practice includes the filing and prosecution of patents, trademarks and copyrights in the United States and with associates in foreign countries throughout the world. Brian also provides clients with patent and trademark availability and infringement opinions; licensing and transfer of intellectual property rights and technology; and counseling and implementation of enforcement strategies and litigation of matters concerning patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, technology and e-commerce, as well as online brand management and domain name law.

Before Brian joined Brick Gentry P.C. in 2010, he served as head of the Intellectual Property Law Practice Group for the Des Moines Regional Office of Dorsey & Whitney, LLP. Previous to this, he was a Shareholder at Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors and Roberts, P.C.

Areas of Practice

Copyrights, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, Patents, Trademarks

Honors

AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2007-present, in Litigation - Intellectual Property and Trademark Law
Named Des Moines Lawyer of the Year of the Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Intellectual Property (2014, 2017, 2020) and Trademark Law (2018, 2021)
Listed in Great Plains Super Lawyers, 2018-present
Listed in America's Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators for Iowa, 2019
Listed in Iowa Super Lawyers, 2007-2011
2013 Above and Beyond Award, Dowling Catholic High School Foundation Board of Directors
Iowa Chapter of Public Relations Society of America 2012 Outstanding Iowa Advocate Award
"Business Leader You Need to Know," Des Moines Business Record's Book of Lists, 2013-2015.
Recipient, Johnston Chamber of Commerce "Johnston Citizen of the Year" Award, 2012
Recipient, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute "Distinguished Government Leadership" Award, 2009
Recipient, The Business Record Inaugural "Forty Under 40" Alumnus of the Year Award, 2009
Recipient, The Business Record Inaugural "Forty Under 40" Award, 2000
Recipient, The Des Moines Register's Iowa "Up and Comer" Award, 1996
Member, 1998-99 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute
Member, 1995-96 Leadership Iowa Class selected and sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry

Recognitions and Publications

“An Engineering Education in Preparation for a Career in Patent Law,” Iowa State University Engineering Classes. October 15, 2014.
“The Importance of Documenting Invention Disclosures as Part of a Corporate Patent Protection Program,” Iowa Association of Business and Industry's Advanced Manufacturing Conference, October 9, 2014.
"Emerging Patent and Trademark Legal Issues for Businesses," Iowa Association of Business and Industry Manufacturing / Environment Conference, October 31, 2013.
"The Basics of Technology Licensing Agreement," Brick Gentry Law Firm Sponsored Continuing Legal Education, October 13, 2013.
"Internal Patent Procedures for Corporate Clients," Brick Gentry Law Firm Sponsored Continuing Legal Education, November 29, 2012
"Intellectual Property Law Basics," Iowa Association of Legal Assistants, September 28, 2012
"Patent Law Reform, Is Your Business Ready?" Iowa Association of Business and Industry, December 14, 2011
"The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011," Brick Gentry Law Firm Sponsored Continuing Legal Education, November 17, 2011
"Intellectual Property Law Basics for Non-Intellectual Property Attorneys," Brick Gentry Law Firm Sponsored Continuing Legal Education, August, 25, 2010
"Is Your Company Ready For Climate Change?" Iowa Chapter of the American Corporate Counsel Association, January 15, 2009
"The Federal Circuit Revisits State Street: Will the Troll Lose His Toll?" Iowa Chapter of the American Corporate Counsel Association, October 17, 2008
"Accelerated Green Technology Patents," Dorsey & Whitney LLP Intellectual Property Update, December 18, 2009
"Patenting Business Methods - The Rules Change, but the Game Is the Same,"Dorsey & Whitney LLP Intellectual Property Update, December 2008
"For Sale - Your Trademark as a Keyword," Dorsey & Whitney LLP Intellectual Property Update, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2005, republished by IPFrontline.com March 23, 2005

Education

DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 1988
Iowa State University, B.S., Construction Engineering, 1984

Bar Admissions

State of Iowa
State of Illinois
United States Patent and Trademark Office

Court Admissions

United States Supreme Court
Iowa Supreme Court
Illinois Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th, 8th and Federal Circuits
U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa
U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern and Central Districts of Illinois

Memberships

Greater Des Moines Committee
Board of Directors, TechLaw Group (an international consortium of leading law firms that serve high technology clients), 2006-2010
Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association (President, 1995-1996. Board of Managers, 1992-1997)
Iowa State Bar Association (Chair, Intellectual Property Law Section, 2001-2002, Intellectual Property Law Section Council, 1998-2001)
Polk County Bar Association

Community Activities

Mayor, City of Johnston, 2003-2007
Mayor Pro Tem, City of Johnston, 2002-2003
Councilman, City of Johnston, 2000-2003
Chair, Greater Des Moines Committee, 2016
Member, Board of Directors, Greater Des Moines Partnership, 2009-2020 (Executive Committee, 2009-2010)
Member, ChildServe Board of Directors, 2018-present, Vice-Chair, 2018-2019, Chair, 2019-present
Trustee, ChildServe Board of Trustees, 2011-2018, Vice-Chair, 2012, Chair, 2013-2018
Member, Board of Directors, Des Moines Arts Festival, 2020-present, (Executive Committee, 2021-present)
Co-Chair, Greater Des Moines Partnership Capital Crossroads Cultural Capital, 2011-2016
Member, Greater Des Moines Partnership Capital Crossroads Vision Plan Steering Committee, 2010-2016
Chairman, Government Policy Council, Greater Des Moines Partnership, 2009 (Vice-Chairman, 2008)
President, Bravo Greater Des Moines, 2008-2011. Member, Board of Directors, 2004-2017
Member, Creighton University Parent Leadership Council, 2015-2020
Member, Board of Directors, Dowling Catholic High School Foundation, 2007-2018, Vice-Chair, 2014-2016, Chair, 2016-2018
Member, Board of Directors, Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2002-2017, Executive Committee, 2005-2007, Vice-Chair, 2007, Chair, Surface Transportation Program Subcommittee, 2007-2017
Member, Metro Advisory Council, 2003-2007, Executive Committee, 2006-2007
Member, Mid-Iowa Association of Local Governments, 2003-2007, Chair 2007
Member, Board of Directors, Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2003-2007
Member, Board of Directors, Johnston Chamber of Commerce, 2000-2007
Member, Board of Directors, Johnston Economic Development Corporation, 2000-2007
Member, Board of Directors, Hyperion Field Club, 2002-2005
Member, Board of Directors, Metropolitan Waste Authority, 2000-2003
President, Twenty-First Century Forum, 1995-1997. Founding Member and Secretary, 1993-1995
Member, Rotary Club of Des Moines A.M., 1998-present.
Chairman, Board of Directors, Amanda Cares, Inc. 1998; Vice-Chairman, 1994-1997
President, United Nations Association of Greater Des Moines, 1995-1998, Vice-President, 1993-1995, Treasurer, 1991-1992
Member, Board of Directors, United Nations Association of Iowa, 1995-1998
Member, St. Pius X Catholic Church, Urbandale, Iowa

Related Insights: Understanding the Four Major Types of Intellectual Property by Jessica Susie
8/30/2013; US Patent System Overhaul
5/31/2013; Internal Patent Procedures for Corporate Clients
12/3/2012

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