Minneapolis (06-28-01): -- Brent Routman has been elected to serve as Secretary of the Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA), Minnesota’s largest local bar association, with a membership of nearly 8,000 members. The position of Secretary is the first step of a five-year leadership track of service on the HCBA’s Executive Committee. Routman is scheduled to serve as president during 2004-2005.

An associate attorney with the Merchant & Gould law firm in Minneapolis since 1995, Routman focuses his practice primarily in Intellectual Property matters both nationally and internationally. He has also lectured internationally on patent law and intellectual property issues.

A graduate of Ohio University and the Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Routman clerked with the office of the U.S. Attorney and the Federal Public Defender before entering private practice in Florida. He also served in administrative positions with the University of Georgia School of Law and the University of Miami School of Law. He returned to practice in 1995, accepting his current position.

Routman has been active in the Hennepin County, the Minnesota State, and the American bar associations, serving in a wide variety of roles, many of which have centered on ethics and professional responsibility. Since 1997 he has been an active volunteer in immigration matters with the Citizenship Advocacy Program of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services.

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Serving on the 2001-2002 Executive Committee of the Hennepin County Bar Association are:

Brian Melendez, President, Faegre & Benson
Jean Holloway, President-Elect, Dorsey & Whitney
John Dornik, Treasurer, McKenzie & Hallberg
Brent Routman, Secretary, Merchant & Gould
Aaron Biber, Past President, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen

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 Photo available by email on request; contact Duane Stanley at duane@hcba.org