Partner

Melissa A. Anyetei

Intellectual Property Counseling & Prosecution, Trademark Litigation, IP & Data Monetization

Overview

Melissa Anyetei counsels clients in matters related to patent litigation, procurement and counseling, and intellectual property transactions. As a registered patent attorney with a background in engineering, clients seek out Melissa’s advice regarding many technologies, including medical devices, pharmaceutical and chemical products, consumer products, software, mobile devices, and industrial machinery.

Experience

Won:

  • An award of attorneys’ fees in a Delaware bankruptcy proceeding involving the breach of a court order dealing with the ownership of certain patent rights.
  • A major patent case as trial counsel for a global coalition of the 18 largest automobile manufacturers in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. The case involved a novel touch-based technology that measures blood alcohol levels when a driver’s finger touches the ignition button.

Recognition

  • Recognized for intellectual property litigation – The Best Lawyers in America
  • Named to list “Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law” – Crain’s Chicago Business
  • Named to Nation’s Best list – Lawyers of Color
  • Recognized as a Rising Star in intellectual property – Illinois Super Lawyers
  • Named an “Influential Woman” and received the “Leadership Excellence in Law” award – Illinois Diversity Council
  • Named as a finalist for 2014 Euromoney Americas Women in Business Law Awards as a Rising Star in Intellectual Property – Euromoney Legal Media Group

Education

  • Columbia University School of Law, JD
    Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Northwestern University, BS, Industrial Engineering

Admissions

  • Illinois

Courts

  • Illinois Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • US Patent and Trademark Office

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Fellow (2017)
  • Black Women Lawyers’ Association
  • Council of One Hundred (C100), Northwestern University
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • National Bar Association
  • Junior Board Member, YMCA Project SOAR
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