Janice V. Mitrius

Janice has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation including developing strategies for discovery and trial or for early resolution. She has prepared and successfully argued motions before the court, including motions for summary judgment, for claim construction, entry of default, temporary restraining orders, orders of seizure, to compel discovery and the award of attorneys’ fees. She has conducted several proceedings before the court including preliminary injunction and arbitration hearings and jury and bench trials. Janice has been extensively involved in discovery matters, Markman hearings, pretrial matters, and trial. She has also successfully negotiated and drafted settlement agreements in patent, trademark, and trade dress infringement suits.

Janice has a broad range of appellate experience including developing strategies for briefing, preparing briefs, and arguing before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition, Janice has represented clients as lead counsel before both the Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Janice has significant experience in obtaining design patents and has also prepared utility patents in the mechanical field, including tooling and biomedical devices. She also is experienced in intellectual property counseling and patent opinion preparation. Janice has significant experience in preparing trademark opinions and obtaining registrations. In addition, she has also been involved in negotiating and drafting various agreements, including joint development agreements, trademark purchase agreements and assignments, trademark licenses, and merchandising agreements.

Janice earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. After completing her undergraduate degree, she gained over five years of practical engineering and business experience as a project engineer with AlliedSignal Engines (now Honeywell). She concentrated on product design and development for auxiliary power gas turbine engines for regional jet and executive aircrafts. She was involved in all aspects of the engineering process including problem identification, design and analysis of solutions, verification through testing, customer communication, and production incorporation. During her five years at AlliedSignal, she earned a Masters of Business Administration degree. She received her degree of Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Arizona State University.

Janice is an active member of the ABA and currently serves (since 2002) in a leadership role. She is presently a Director of Division VI (2020-2022) and will be the Coordinator for the Leadership Development for the 2022–2023 bar year. Prior to her current leadership role, Janice was a Managing Director for the 2019-2020 bar year. She also was elected to and served as a member of the Section of Litigation’s Council from 2016-2019. In addition, Janice Co-Chaired the Section of Litigation’s Sound Advice Committee (2015-2016). Further, she served in numerous other leadership roles in the Section of Litigation as the Director of Division VII (2013-2015), Co-Chair for the Section’s 2013 Annual Conference (2011-2013), Co-Chair of the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program Committee (2008-2011), Co-Chair of the Technology for the Litigator Committee (2005-2008) and Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Committee (2002-2005). Janice is also a member of the Leading Lawyers Network. Based upon peer nominations and approval by the network’s Advisory Board, only the top lawyers are nominated and eligible for membership in the Leading Lawyers Network. Janice was listed in Illinois Super Lawyers from 2008 to 2023, and named in its list of Top 50 Women Lawyers from 2009 to 2011. Janice has also been recognized in the 2022 Illinois Leading Lawyers.  In addition, Janice has taught a class on Intellectual Property Pretrial Practice as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University College of Law since 2007.