February 1, 2011 — Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., a national intellectual property law firm that is dedicated to the procurement, enforcement and litigation of intellectual property rights throughout the world, announces the election of a firm president, six shareholders and the arrival of three associates.
Charles L. Miller, Elected, President, joined the firm in 1999. Mr. Miller’s practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling primarily in the electrical, computer and business method arts. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, Mr. Miller worked as a U.S. Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Miller earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, graduating magna cum laude, from Southern Illinois University. He also earned a Juris Doctor degree, graduating cum laude, from George Mason University. Mr. Miller practices in the firm’s Chicago office.
Michael J. Harris, Elected, Principal Shareholder, joined the firm in 2003. Mr. Harris focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and counseling. Mr. Harris has experience in all areas of intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition matters. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, Mr. Harris was an electrical engineer for the State of Illinois Commerce Commission. Mr. Harris graduated, cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, summa cum laude, from Valparaiso University.
Louis DiSanto, Elected, Shareholder, joined the firm in 2008. Mr. DiSanto’s practice focuses on patent infringement litigation, opinion counseling, and patent prosecution. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, Mr. DiSanto worked as a research assistant at Nalco Chemical Company and as a pharmaceuticals manufacturing engineer at Abbott Laboratories. Mr. DiSanto earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law, and his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Thomas J. Lerdal, Elected, Shareholder, joined the firm in 2006. Mr. Lerdal’s practice encompasses all areas of litigation, including patent, trade secret, trademark, and unfair competition matters. Before joining Banner & Witcoff, Mr. Lerdal worked as an analyst at both Accenture and Capital One. Mr. Lerdal earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, summa cum laude with honors, from the University of Arizona.
Aseet Patel, Elected, Shareholder, started as an attorney at the firm in 2006. Mr. Patel concentrates on patent prosecution, counseling, and litigation matters primarily in the electrical, computer, and business method arts. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, Mr. Patel worked as a U.S. Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and as a consultant and programmer for a software start-up. Mr. Patel earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Gregory G. Schlenz, Elected, Shareholder, joined the firm in 2006. Mr. Schlenz focuses his practice in domestic and foreign patents, trademarks, unfair competition, copyrights, and trade secrets. Mr. Schlenz earned a degree in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, at the University of Illinois College of Law.
Neil C. Trueman, Ph.D., Elected, Shareholder, joined the firm in 2007. Dr. Trueman’s practice encompasses all areas of intellectual property law, with an emphasis on the litigation of patent rights. Dr. Trueman was awarded his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Cambridge University’s Institute of Biotechnology and graduated with Distinction from the College of Law of England and Wales, and cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law. Prior to joining Banner & Witcoff, Dr. Trueman was an intellectual property lawyer at the law firm of Bristows in London, England.
Additionally, Banner & Witcoff welcomes the following associates:
- Michael Cuviello; patent prosecution and litigation; M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego; J.D., Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to joining Banner and Witcoff, Michael was a Senior Engineer practicing in the aerospace and microelectronics industries.
- Azuka C. Dike; patent infringement litigation, patent prosecution, and opinion counseling; J.D., Northwestern University.
- Sean J. Jungels; litigation and prosecution; J.D. Order of the Coif and high honors, Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Please direct all media inquiries to Colleen Strasser at 312-463-5465 or cstrasser@bannerwitcoff.com.
Posted: January 31, 2011
