Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts (VLA) recognized WilmerHale as a Champion of Innovation as part of the organization’s VLA35 Champion of the Arts & Innovation Celebration. VLA wanted to honor the firm’s volunteer lawyers and tech specialists for being such “wonderful and long-standing supporters” for the Patent Pro Bono Program and for supporting low-income artists and creative professionals.

Special Counsel Jason Liss accepted the award on behalf of the firm at the celebratory event earlier this month. “WilmerHale has worked with VLA for nearly 30 years, and countless of my colleagues and predecessors at the firm have been thrilled to perform the work they do with such an amazing organization,” said Liss when accepting the award. “When it comes to intellectual property, we’re especially happy for opportunities to work for inventors who might not otherwise have the resources to obtain protection for their ideas.”

The VLA Massachusetts program has provided legal services, advice and educational programming to artists and cultural organizations throughout Massachusetts for more than 30 years. The program accomplishes its mission through the work of a panel of more than 750 attorneys who volunteer their time and services to provide legal counsel, education and organizational support to the Massachusetts arts community.