Advent formed as an intellectual property law firm on July 1, 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Yet, Advent’s history has roots well before our formation and spans across the United States.
A native to Omaha Nebraska, Ryan Grace began his career in Seattle, Washington with one of the largest intellectual property law boutiques in the United States. While in Seattle, Ryan spent several years immersed in the rich technology and intellectual property environment that spawned some of the most prolific technology companies in the world. Seeing the starts of a similar atmosphere in Omaha, Ryan moved back to Omaha and opened a regional office for the intellectual property law boutique.
Kevin West worked for several years as an aerospace engineer for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri, helping to design and support aircraft such as the AV-8B Harrier, F-15 Eagle, and F-18 Hornet. Following the end of the cold war, Kevin returned to law school with the goal of becoming a patent attorney. After graduation in 1997, Kevin and his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he began his practice with a local intellectual property law firm, eventually becoming a named partner in the firm. After practicing patent law in Omaha for nearly a decade, Kevin moved to the Kansas City, Missouri area to become the chief intellectual property law counsel for one of the leading technology companies in the midwest. Kevin recently moved back to Omaha to resume private practice.
Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, David Milligan spent a decade in Washington, DC learning how best to assist innovators in protecting and leveraging their ideas. He has worked with a full spectrum of individuals and entities–from entrepreneurs and start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Dave is an owner of Leap Ventures LLC and currently serves on the boards of directors of InvestNebraska, the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Center, and the Colonial Williamsburg National Advisory Board. In between nourishing his fondness for technology and all things Apple, he and his wife enjoy raising their four children (all of whom are four years of age or younger).
During several encounters in Omaha, David, Kevin and Ryan realized that they had a similar vision for a holistic value based law firm that was driven on relationships.
Shortly after formation, Advent became one of the largest intellectual property law firms in Nebraska. Advent is also the only intellectual property law firm in Nebraska with an intellectual diversity that spans markets from both coasts and the Midwest.
