Jeanne M. Gills

Specialty / focus areas. Gills is a complex commercial IP trial lawyer whose practice spans patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright litigation and appeals, in industries "ranging from electronics to biotechnology" (Foley & Lardner bio; AIPLA). With a B.S. in electrical engineering, her patent docket skews toward electrical/software and mechanical/industrial technologies — semiconductors, memory devices, wireless devices, diesel engines, automotive components, robotics, and ag-biotech — rather than pharma. The tracked matters track that profile: robotics (Brain Corp. v. Avidbots), Wi-Fi/software-era NPE assertions (Intellectual Ventures v. American Airlines), fintech (HFT Solutions v. Optiver), automotive (AutoConnect v. GM; Bulletproof v. Tesla), and consumer/seasonal products (Seasonal Specialties).

Side preference. She works both sides but leans defendant-side: 5 of 7 tracked appearances defend operating companies (American Airlines, GM, Tesla, Optiver, Avidbots) against patent-assertion entities and competitors, consistent with her published work on "Strategies for Winning NPE Litigation" and "Defending Against NPE Claims" (Foley CLE listings). Two tracked matters are plaintiff-side (Brain Corp.; Seasonal Specialties), and she has noted that her "corn wars" litigation put her on both sides of the docket (Super Lawyers, 2022).

Firm context. Gills is a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago — vice chair of the firm's national IP Department, a former Management Committee member, and formerly vice chair of its IP Litigation Practice. She began her career at Keck, Mahin & Cate (summer 1993 through associate years) under mentor Sharon Barner. Caveat: the tracked-case database attributes 6 of 7 appearances to Kirkland & Ellis, but no public source links Gills to that firm — every firm, court, and directory source places her at Foley (and earlier Keck Mahin). The only "Jeanne" patent litigator at Kirkland is Jeanne M. Heffernan, a different attorney; the Kirkland label appears to be a data artifact.

Notable cases, PTAB, and credentials. Her signature results include DeKalb v. Pioneer (jury trial over genetically engineered corn patents, $500M+ at stake), TAS v. Cummins (jury trial on an engine-technology license), and ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1140 (fuel-vapor canister systems; ITC win on automotive technology, affirmed on the related Federal Circuit appeal). She has been lead counsel in 25+ PTAB proceedings — IPRs, CBMs, and derivation proceedings — including IPR2013-00178 (petitioner; all claims invalidated) and IPR2013-00578 (patent owner; challenged claims upheld on Federal Circuit appeal and remand), and she writes regularly on PTAB developments (Arthrex, SAS v. Iancu). Education: J.D., University of Chicago Law School (1994); B.S. electrical engineering with honors, Michigan State University (1991); Illinois bar (1994); admitted before the Federal Circuit and Seventh Circuit; registered with the USPTO.