Best Lawyers in Illinois, United States for Patent Law
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
Grant H. Peters is a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg, a member of the Intellectual Property Department, co-chairman of the Climate Change Practice Group, a member of the Professional Responsibility Committee, and a member of the Internet and Technology Law, Advertising and Marketing, and Nanotechnology Practice Groups. Grant is an experienced attorney with a broad national and international practice focused on intellectual property development, management, protection, ...
William Gont is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. William, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Richard T. Ruzich is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. Richard T., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
A former chief patent counsel to a Fortune 500 communications company with deep first chair trial experience, Thomas Pasternak focuses his practice on patent, trademark, and trade secret litigation, licensing, and prosecution. He protects and defends his clients’ intellectual property rights in district courts throughout the United States, the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and the Federal Circuit and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal. He ...
Sherry L. Rollo counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property, including the protection, licensing, and enforcement of intellectual property rights, data privacy, and data security both domestically and internationally. Sherry also guides clients with corporate strategies relating to the prosecution, merger, licensing, sale, or acquisition of intellectual property assets, including conducting due diligence, counseling on business strategies, and managing patent, trademark, copyright,...
Mark Zimmerman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. Mark, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
G. Peter Nichols is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. G. Peter, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. Peter is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Carolyn M. Passen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property and Trademark Law. Carolyn M., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carolyn M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
As a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group, Jeff focuses his work on patent litigation and strategic counseling related to pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, electrical engineering, agricultural and food products. A registered patent attorney with four decades of experience, Jeff has successfully represented both patent owners and patent challengers through all stages of federal litigation and appeals. A significant portion of Jeff’s practice includes advising pharma...
Kathleen Meyer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. Kathleen, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kathleen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Steve Feldman is the head of Hahn Loeser’s Intellectual Property Practice Area, the Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. His practice encompasses complex intellectual property litigation, prosecution, licensing, and counseling involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks and unfair competition, copyrights, data privacy and security, and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) compliance, policies, and rights. Steve also regula...
James Flight is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. James, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Marc H. Trachtenberg is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Advertising Law and Trademark Law. Marc H., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marc H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas J. Wimbiscus, a shareholder with McAndrews, has more than thirty years of experience and practices in all areas of intellectual property litigation, with a special emphasis on patent and trademark litigation. He has appeared in over 100 litigations and over 100 inter partes reviews (IPRs). He was named one of the 10 most active IPR practitioners in the U.S. for patent owners. (Patexia 2018.) Tom was named as one of the world’s leading patent professionals by IAM Patent 1000 in 20...
R. David Donoghue is a trial attorney and the deputy practice group leader of Holland & Knight's Intellectual Property Group, focusing his almost 15 years of experience upon intellectual property litigation and particularly upon patent disputes. Mr. Donoghue's most recent trial experience includes a jury verdict finding of willfulness, a full trebling of damages and a full award of attorney's fees in the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Donoghue has also been chosen as lead trial counse...
Floyd Mandell is the national co-chair and founder of the firm's Intellectual Property department. He has represented some of the world’s most recognizable companies in intellectual property litigation. Few other lawyers have handled as many high-profile cases over the past 20 years involving copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, trade dress, false advertising and defamation. He has been lead counsel in more than 40 published decisions, many involving novel or cutting-edge issues. On m...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.