International Guest Program

For more than 40 years, Oblon has maintained an International Guest Program that has welcomed many hundreds of our clients’ professionals from many different countries to work at our firm on a temporary basis to learn about the U.S. patent system, to engage with our employees in both formal and casual settings, and to become more comfortable with English-language conversation and interactions.  To date, our firm has welcomed approximately 600 international guests from Japan, South Korea, China, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. 

While here, our international guests learn about U.S. intellectual property law and procedures, American business culture, and American people.  The mission of our International Guest Program is to provide excellent service and support to our international guests during their stay in the U.S.  This assistance includes helping with visas, housing, family member support, participation in social outings, and, most importantly, their training program.

In addition to providing a structured training program and on-the-job-training for our international guests, we provide opportunities to engage in various cultural and social activities with attorneys in our firm on an individual basis as well as part of a group.  Some cultural activities have included visits to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to see plays and concerts, historic tours, such as visiting Mount Vernon; and visits to museums.  Some social activities have included attending professional sporting events, such as basketball and baseball games.

The International Guest Program experience proves invaluable to both the individual international guest and our client (the international guest’s employer).  Another long-term benefit of this program is that it engenders in our international guests, our employees, and our clients an increased sensitivity into each other’s cultures, and serves to strengthen our mutual trust and valued business relationships.