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Feb/March 2010 firm newsletter

The Nanotech Land Grab

Michael T. Burr, contributing editor for Corporate Legal Times The article "The Nanotech Land Grab" reports on how advances in nano-science are affecting governments, corporations and non-governmental organizations. "The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is scrambling to handle the deluge of nanotech patent claims, and regulators at agencies such as the EPA are scratching their heads, trying to determine how to deal with the new untested substances that soon will be flowing into the environment. "Likewise, companies that are developing or using nanotech materials are becoming increasingly concerned about the legal and regulatory ramifications of these new substances. The last thing anyone wants is another asbestos." In response this growing area of science and technology, a few law firms have taken steps to form groups specifically focused on dealing with the legal issues surrounding nanotechnology. Under the side bar "Ahead of the Curve: Firms With Nanotech Practice Groups," Burr notes the firm Schmeiser, Olsen & Watts as an early pioneer in this area of law, establishing a nanotech practice group in 2000. Full article can be viewed at the following URL: http://www.mtburr.com/Images/CLT/CoverStory_0604.pdf rg/12/'>lung cancer systoms