Jeffrey G. Mote

Jeff is a go-to intellectual property trial lawyer, and trusted counselor, who helps companies protect what makes their businesses valuable—their ideas, brands, and technology. He blends courtroom experience with practical business sense to resolve high-stakes IP disputes and guide clients through complex deals.

A former Navy fighter pilot, he knows how to stay cool under pressure and when to turn up the heat to gain a tactical advantage for his clients. Companies with lean in-house teams often turn to him as an outside partner to design cost-effective litigation strategies, oversee eDiscovery (including litigation holds, ESI compliance, and document retention policies), and align legal risk management with their business goals.

Jeff has tried and litigated patent, trade secret, copyright, trademark and unfair competition cases across the United States and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTAB and TTAB) for clients ranging from emerging startups to global brands. His patent matters have spanned numerous industries and technologies including medical devices, specialty chemicals, telecommunications, food and beverage products and packaging, remote controls, power tools, sporting goods, injection molding equipment, CNC machinery, consumer electronics, digital video and audio processing, data encryption, avionics and navigation systems, wireless communications, and mechanical devices.

On the brand side, Jeff maintains a robust trademark and anti-counterfeiting practice for startups to major multinational companies in diverse industries spanning golf equipment, tobacco, food and beverage, luxury goods, consumer products, financial services, and footwear/apparel. He regularly coordinates investigations with local and federal law enforcement and moves quickly to obtain preliminary relief such as temporary restraining orders, ex parte seizures, asset freezes and preliminary injunctions to stop counterfeiters in their tracks.

Litigation

• Represented a Fortune 50 leader in the manufacture of consumer electronics in the defense of a patent infringement suit by a patent troll relating to television blocking technology, resulting in summary judgment of non-infringement.
• Defended one of the largest online investment companies in defense of a patent infringement suit relating to web server technology, resulting in a favorable settlement after positive claims construction ruling.
• Defended one of the world’s leading suppliers of telephones and answering machines in defense of a patent infringement suit, resulting in a favorable settlement without trial after obtaining summary judgment of invalidity (indefiniteness) of several asserted claims of the patents-in-suit.
• Represented a major tobacco company in numerous counterfeit investigations in the Chicago area, resulting in the filing of more than 40 civil suits in the Northern District of Illinois involving the illegal importation and distribution of counterfeit Newport® cigarettes. Coordinated and conducted numerous ex parte seizures with the U.S. Marshals Service, including the seizure of more than $2.5 million in counterfeit cigarettes from a Chicago-area warehouse.
• Obtained a temporary restraining order for one of the largest golf equipment manufacturers in the world against a wholesale distributor that was selling counterfeit Titleist® golf balls.
• Obtained a temporary restraining order and then permanent injunction for a leading retailer in a trade dress and copyright infringement action against a major retail competitor distributing “knock-offs” of Sears’ Craftsman® Laser Trac® laser levels.
• Defended a major sports-flooring manufacturer in an arbitration matter involving breach of contract claims relating to a complex asset purchase agreement and associated patent and trademark licenses, resulting in the dismissal of all claims against the client by the arbitrator.
• Prepared an appeal on behalf of a recreational goods manufacturer resulting in the federal circuit’s clarification of several novel claim interpretation issues.
• Defended a Fortune 50 aviation and defense industry company in a patent infringement suit involving automated CNC machine control technology by a “patent troll” firm, resulting in client dismissal for nominal settlement.
• Defended a major multi-channel industrial product distributor in a software patent infringement suit, resulting in the plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal at no cost to the client.
• Represent a major electronics manufacturer in policing and enforcing its patent and trademark portfolio, including the enforcement of numerous patents involving remote-control technology.
• Defended a world-famous entertainment and theme park company in trademark and copyright infringement action, resulting in summary judgment in favor of the client on all of the plaintiff’s claims, as well as the client’s counterclaims.

Transactional

• Prepared a wide variety of IP-related agreements, including licenses, assignments, non-disclosure agreements, employer invention ownership agreements, employee non-compete covenants, product endorsement agreements, and distribution agreements.
• Conducted IP due diligence investigations and audits for private equity clients in connection with the purchase of several Internet retailers.
• Managed the intellectual property portfolios for a diverse group of companies, ranging from a water park resort developer to a plastic container manufacturer.

• “Intellectual Property Rights in Creative Works and Inventions Created with the Assistance of AI,” Crain’s Chicago Business, October 9, 2023 (co-author with Jaimin Shah)