Overview
Adam Kelly is a nationally acclaimed counselor in intellectual property law with extensive experience in the U.S. and abroad. He is a trusted business advisor to a wide range of clients, including industry leaders in agricultural science, biotechnology, electronic trading, golf equipment, green energy, hospitality, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and transportation.
His practice focuses on counseling clients on how to competitively use intellectual property to increase market share and revenues by implementing effective strategies addressing branding, corporate transactions, technology acquisition and patent protection.
Adam has successfully enforced and defended against intellectual property actions in diverse jurisdictions, representing clients through all litigation phases from pre-suit due diligence through trial and appeal, and has obtained and defended against various types of preliminary injunctive relief.
I bring an honest and thoughtful approach to my practice and genuinely value my trusted professional relationships with clients and colleagues.
In addition, he has strategically advised clients across a wide variety of patent infringement, prosecution, opposition and post-grant review matters before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office, and the Korean Patent Office.
Adam is an avid golfer who frequently travels throughout the world to play challenging, scenic courses, oftentimes bringing his friends and colleagues along for the experience. When not traveling, he may be found on the putting green with his family or coaching youth sports.
Education
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly The John Marshall Law School), J.D.
- Purdue University, M.S., Biology
- Indiana University, B.A., Biology
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
Recognition
- Named in IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Professionals in the Illinois Litigation category (2022)
- Received the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Federal Circuit (2022)
- Named "Lawyer of the Year" in Patent Litigation for Chicago by The Best Lawyers in America (2022)
- Named "Illinois Super Lawyer" in Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Litigation by Thomson Reuters (2013-2023); Named in the "Top 100: Illinois Super Lawyers" (2014-2020)
- Named "Best Lawyer" in Patent Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation and Patent Law, The Best Lawyers in America, published by Woodward White, Inc. (2016-2023)
- Recommended “Top Lawyers in Illinois” in Patent Law, Leading Lawyers Network, a division of Law Bulletin Publishing Company (2015)
- Named in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, in Illinois Intellectual Property (2013-2022)
- Named an “IP Star” by Managing Intellectual Property magazine (2013-2022)
- Named among the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch" by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company (2014)
- Named among "Chicago's 40 Under 40" by the National Law Journal (2013)
- Named “Illinois Rising Star” in Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Litigation by Thomson Reuters (2011-2012)
Affiliations
- Chair, Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance
- Member, Federal Trial Bar
- Past-President, Richard Linn American Inn of Court
- Past-President, Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
- Member, Federal Circuit Bar Association
- Advisor, Chicago Inventors Organization
- Advisor, Intellectual Property Advisory Board for The University of Illinois at Chicago John Marshall Law School
- Adjunct Faculty Member, UIC John Marshall Law School
- Guest Lecturer, The DePaul Law School
- Member, Skokie Country Club
- Chair, Executive Committee, Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance