From Cresco to the World: Norman Borlaug’s Legacy and the Global Impact of Plant Breeders’ Rights By Heidi Sease Nebel Norman Borlaug grew up in Cresco, Iowa, a small farm town, like so many in my home state. Iowa’s 30-36 million acres of farmland sit atop rich glacial soils, and are combined with ideal rainfall and a temperate climate, all of which have made Iowa one of the national Agricultural leaders, producing abundant crops with no […] Continue Reading →
USPTO Seeking to Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Assist with Patent Examination By Joseph M. Hallman In a world where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent by the day, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is planning to utilize AI for patent examination purposes. On June 4, 2025, the USPTO published a Request for Information (RFI) via SAM.gov, which is the System for Award Management and […] Continue Reading →
Celebrating Innovation: The 2025 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees By Kirk M. Hartung The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) was founded in 1973 in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It has inducted more than 600 inventors who have created great technological innovations which have benefited all phases of life. NIHF honors the past with stories of ingenuity and invention and invests in future […] Continue Reading →
Updates on Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court Utilization in Europe – Part 1 By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D. If you have sought international patent protection in the last two years, you have likely received information about Unitary Patents and the Unified Patent Court in Europe. If not, let me introduce you to the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court. The Unitary Patent became an option for validations of a European patent upon […] Continue Reading →
As We Begin Our 101st Year of Service By Cassie J. Edgar As we step into our 101st year of serving innovators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries at the intersection of technology and law, I find myself reflecting on what makes this milestone so meaningful. Throughout those hundred years, McKee, Voorhees & Sease (MVS), has continually evolved to meet new challenges, build lasting client relationships, and navigate the ever-shifting […] Continue Reading →
FDA Issues Order Noting Resolution of Tirzepatide Shortage: Update for Compounding Pharmacies By Cassie J. Edgar On December 19th, the FDA issued a FDA declaratory order noting the resolution of the shortage for tirzepatide injection products, including Mounjaro and Zepbound. The tirzepatide shortage, which began in December 2022, was driven by overwhelming demand for these breakthrough medications used in managing type 2 diabetes and obesity. The FDA’s most recent decision, effective […] Continue Reading →
A Letter Commemorating MVS’s 100th Anniversary End of Year By Luke T. Mohrhauser As we approach the end of 2024, we hope you have had a successful and fulfilling year. I cannot help but think of what a milestone McKee, Voorhees & Sease had this year making it to our 100th anniversary, an achievement less than 1% of all law firms accomplish. We have exhibited snapshots of our […] Continue Reading →
The Onion Buys Alex Jones’ Infowars in Bankruptcy Auction By Julie L. Spieker Yesterday, Global Tetrahedron, the corporation that owns the satirical news website The Onion, was the winning bidder for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a Chapter 7 bankruptcy auction. Jones and Infowars owner Free Speech Systems both filed for bankruptcy in 2022 after eight families impacted by the Sandy Hook shooting won a $1.4 billion defamation award […] Continue Reading →
McKee Voorhees & Sease and the World Food Prize: A Legacy of Protecting the IP behind Agriculture and Nutritional Security By In the midst of McKee Voorhees and Sease’s 100th year anniversary and the celebration of its legacy to the Des Moines, Iowa, community, it feels fitting to celebrate the firm’s history with another ever-present Iowa organization: The World Food Prize. The World Food Prize Foundation was sponsored and formed by businessman and philanthropist John Ruan, […] Continue Reading →
Iowa Inventors and Nobel Prize Winners By Kirk M. Hartung While there are many significant inventions by people with Iowa roots, there are at least two Iowans whose inventions and discoveries led to the prestigious Nobel Prize. These inventors and their work may not be well known to the general public, but their work clearly was special. Robert A. Millikan was born in 1868 in […] Continue Reading →