( BLACK PR WIRE) CHICAGO, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., is pleased to announce that Tiffany D. Walker, an incoming first year-associate at the firm, is the recipient of the Black Women Lawyer’s Association of Greater Chicago’s (BWLA) 2009 Mercedes Anita Laing Scholarship. The award was presented at a recent ceremony at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago, IL. Ms. Walker was chosen from among those who best represent the characteristics and interests embodied by Ms. Laing and after submitting her essay on President Obama’s outsourcing policies and undergoing an interview during which diversity and other issues were discussed.

The Mercedes Anita Laing Scholarship is given in honor of BWLA’s founding member and former president, Mercedes Anita Laing, who passed away in 2008. The scholarship seeks to commemorate her legacy as a dedicated attorney who strived for ethnic and cultural diversity, civil and human rights and the increased significance of African-American female attorneys in the legal industry as well as throughout our society.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as one having similar goals and aspirations of Mercedes Anita Laing and I am honored to receive this award from the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago,” said Ms. Walker.

Ms. Walker will join Brinks in September 2009 after receiving her J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. in finance from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. In 2007, Ms. Walker was selected to participate in a competitive Judicial Internship Opportunity Program sponsored by the American Bar Association Section of Litigation and interned with the Honorable Ronald A. Guzman, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Ms. Walker was formerly a financial analyst with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Exelon Corporation. She was a summer associate with the firm in 2008.

BWLA which was established in Chicago in 1987 represents African-American females in the legal industry and seeks to improve the justice system by increasing the amount of ethnically diverse women in the legal field. For more information, please visit www.bwla.org.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five additional offices across the country serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with more than 170 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks and brand names for a wide variety of products and services. For more information, visit www.usebrinks.com.