Lathrop & Gage attorney Joe Johnson (Intellectual Property - Springfield) has been appointed to the board of directors for the Springfield Business Development Corporation.  His term will begin January 1, 2010, and will be three years in duration.

The SBDC serves as Springfield’s public-private partnership organization that assists business development in southwest Missouri.  Services include assistance with customized training, utility rate comparisons, tax credits and abatements.  The SBDC has played a significant role in attracting new businesses to the region, and collaborating with those already in the area. 

A graduate of the University of Tulsa College of Law and Drury College, Mr. Johnson's background includes prosecution and litigation of intellectual property matters, general business consultation and litigation including class action defense. He assists established and start up companies in the identification and protection of inventions, technology, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights to enhance company value and competitiveness.  Mr. Johnson's representative clients include medical device manufacturers, physician inventors, international manufacturers, automobile dealerships, national sporting goods companies, chemical companies, a telecommunications consulting and engineering firm, a stainless steel fabricating company and several publishers, as well as numerous small businesses and individual inventors.

About Lathrop & Gage:
A full-service law firm, Lathrop & Gage LLP has 300 attorneys in 11 offices across the country, from Los Angeles to New York. In 2009, Chambers USA ranked Lathrop & Gage’s corporate, environmental, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and labor and employment teams among the best in their respective regions. For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com or www.beentherewonthat.com.