Success Stories

Large Corporations

• GBC and its associate Australian counsel obtained a $6.5 million judgment against a trademark counterfeiting enterprise in Australian Federal Court. This decision closed down a notorious multi-national counterfeit footwear operation. The award included punitive and compensatory damages, as well as costs.
• In 2008, GBC represented the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition and the American Apparel and Footwear Association as Amici Curie before the United States Supreme Court in the case Prefect 10, Inc. v. Visa International. GBC on behalf of the Amici urged the Supreme Court to take a case having significant implications on U.S. trademark counterfeiting law.
• GBC lawyers successfully argued dispositive pretrial motions in a patent infringement action, allowing a major consumer water treatment manufacturer client to produce water filtration pitchers. The Federal District Court’s decision in GBC’s favor was upheld on appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• GBC obtained a favorable settlement prior to trial for a cell phone industry-manufacturing client.
• Greer, Burns & Crain lawyers obtained summary judgment rulings that achieved a nuisance value settlement for a soil remediation client that had been faced with a multi-million dollar settlement demand for allegedly infringing five patents. GBC’s investigation and efforts led to court orders compelling plaintiff to produce evidence that supported summary judgment rulings that the plaintiff intentionally misled the Patent Office.
• GBC lawyers prevailed in over 11 appeals involving disputed positions by Examiners at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a major computer manufacturer.
• Greer, Burns & Crain successfully defended a hair clipper company in a patent infringement suit on summary judgment, without trial. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed.

Smaller Corporations

• Greer, Burns & Crain negotiated a pretrial settlement in a lawsuit over a popular outdoor living consumer product involving trademark and trade dress issues.
• GBC lawyers obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against a major corporation that came to Chicago and used the name of a successful messenger service and forced the large corporation to use a different name.
• GBC enforced a patent in the tool industry and negotiated a license from the defendant, without trial.
• GBC attorneys successfully obtained an emergency temporary restraining order for a manufacturer of automotive parts and accessories. As a result of GBC’s efforts, the court order ultimately led to the permanent injunction of the manufacturer’s competitor from any and all use of the company’s trademark, as well as destruction of infringing product.
• GBC lawyers also successfully defended a home accessory company in a design patent suit, without trial.

Independent Inventors

• Greer, Burns & Crain negotiated a lucrative license between an individual inventor client and a major consumer products manufacturer in the field of oral hygiene products.
• GBC lawyers obtained a lucrative license between an individual inventor client and an accused infringer without filing a complaint.

IP Opinions & Expert Testimony

• GBC attorneys have prepared numerous opinions on patent, trademark and copyright matters, and have testified about their opinions in depositions and in court. GBC lawyers have also served as experts in litigation.

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• GBC attorneys have spoken at many patent seminars in the United States and Asia on all aspects of infringement patent prosecution.