ATTORNEYS

 

• Patrick G. Burns
• Lawrence J. Crain
• Steven P. Fallon
• Paul G. Juettner
• Kevin W. Guynn
• Tom R. Fitzsimons
• James K. Folker
• B. Joe Kim
• Carole A. Mickelson
• Laura R. Wanek
• Christopher Hermanson
• Amy Ziegler
• Patricia Prior

• Arik B. Ranson
• Gavin O’Keefe
• Kevin T. Bastuba
• Justin R. Gaudio
• Tanja Proehl
• Danielle M. Beach
• Soyoung Lee

OF COUNSEL

• Thomas E. Hill
• John W. Chestnut

Tom Fitzsimons 

---

Tom Fitzsimons is a shareholder with Greer Burns & Crain in Chicago, and has been with the firm for over 10 years. Tom’s intellectual property experience includes patent and trademark prosecution, opinions, litigation and IP transactional law.

 

Tom’s broad background, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen enable him to provide highly strategic IP legal advice to clients ranging from start-ups to established multinational corporations.

 

Tom has extensive trademark portfolio management experience in the United States and internationally. He has participated in trademark prosecution, opposition and cancellation proceedings, licensing deals, litigation and domain name disputes in countries around the world.

 

In recent years Tom has been particularly active in anti-counterfeit enforcement, including on the internet and in China, and is an important member of GBC’s internet enforcement program which has achieved over 10,000 infringing website takedowns since 2008.

 

Tom has also prosecuted hundreds of utility and design patents in the fields of chemistry, computer software, mechanical devices and luxury goods. He has patent litigation experience and provides related counseling to clients on various international patent issues.

 

Before joining GBC, Tom was in-house IP counsel for a communications software company. This in-house experience provides Tom with valuable perspective regarding client needs. Prior to practicing law Tom worked as a chemical engineer for ten years, during which time he developed software / instrumentation and worked on fluid flow technologies.

 

Tom received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois (Champaign) in 1987 and a J.D. from Loyola University (Chicago) in 1994.

 

Tom is active in various local and national IP associations and has lectured in the United States and Asia on topics ranging from best practices for online anti-counterfeit enforcement to the patentability of computer software. 

 

Experience

• Patent Prosecution and Litigation

• Trademark Prosecution and Litigation

• Opinions on patent infringement, validity, and enforceability

• Copyright matters

• Intellectual Property Counsel with IP Communications Corporation

• Chemical Engineer with Processing Consultant and Testing Laboratory

 

Bar Memberships

• United States Supreme Court

• Supreme Court of the State of Illinois

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

• U.S. District Court for Colorado

 

Example Technical Fields

• Business Methods

• Chemistry

• Coatings

• Computers and Networks

• Computer Software

• Fluid Handling, Pumps, and Filters

• Food Science

• Fuel Cells

• Laboratory Instrumentation

• Mechanical Devices

• Medical Devices

• Non-Woven Textiles

• Paper and Pulp Technology

• Telecommunications

• Video Conferencing