The Westfield, New Jersey-based intellectual property law firm of Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP (“Lerner David”) is pleased to announce that Daniel H. “Dan” Bobis, currently of counsel to the firm, will celebrate his 90th birthday on May 1, 2008. This date also marks Bobis’s twentieth anniversary of bringing his practice to Lerner David.
Managing Partner William L. Mentlik notes, "It is with great admiration that everyone here at Lerner David offers their most sincere congratulations to Dan on his 90th birthday, and take the opportunity to thank him for his invaluable contributions to the firm and the patent bar in general. Dan's daily presence at the office and his unending love of the practice of patent law have been and continue to be an inspiration to all attorneys, young and old, who have practiced here at the firm over the past twenty years we have been fortunate enough to have Dan with us."
A graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Columbia University, Bobis served his country for three years as a pilot in the U.S. Army (1943-46). He flew more than 100 combat hours over Europe and was awarded an Air Medal with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters, as well as the Purple Heart.
Bobis was admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1950. His distinguished professional career began in 1952 as an in-house patent attorney for the Worthington Corporation, then a multi-national manufacturer of pumps and other industrial components. He left the company in 1969 to enter private practice, which he pursued in Newark until 1988, when he brought the practice of Popper, Bobis & Jackson to Lerner David. Serving the patent bar nationally and locally over the years, Bobis was President of the New Jersey Intellectual Property Association and an advisor on the historic 1952 Patent Act.
Throughout his career, Bobis has also spent significant personal time teaching and mentoring young IP professionals. He established a patent paralegal program in which he taught for four years. On a one-to-one basis, he has trained more than 100 men and women who have continued on to enjoy successful legal careers, with three of them becoming partners at Lerner David.
Keith Gilman, a partner at Lerner David, speaks fondly of his mentor, "Every lawyer should be so fortunate to have a mentor like Dan. Not only is Dan a master of patent law, his greatest lesson for me was to enjoy your work. I started my career with Dan in 1985 and even today he continues to teach me about the practice of law and about enjoying life. I am thrilled to have practiced my entire career with Dan, and more importantly to have shared such a close friendship for so many years."
In his ninetieth year, Bobis is a daily presence at Lerner David, where he continues to practice law, pursue new business and mentor young IP lawyers. “I love the job — it’s fun!” he says, explaining why he is a fixture in the office long after most professionals have retired to more leisurely concerns. “I just became a grandfather for the first time at age 80, so I have to stay young,” he adds.
When asked about his secret to longevity, he jokes, “Whenever you inhale, you’ve gotta exhale,” followed by his true, “patent-pending” secret: “Just make life fun. Appreciate what you have and everything around you.”
About Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP
Since its founding in 1969, Lerner David has been devoted exclusively to intellectual property law. The firm has earned a solid reputation for active and effective client representation in the Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts and at the bargaining table — but our role as “counselors” remains paramount. By providing sound, practical advice, Lerner David’s 60+ attorneys help clients make informed, intelligent choices about the benefits and risks associated with intellectual property.