For clients in a wide range of industries, Robert M. Gerstein prepares, negotiates and resolves disputes relating to patent, trademark, devolvement and other intellectual property agreements, counsels on all aspects of intellectual property and provides legal opinions. Building on over 20 years of experience, he treats each client individually, delving into their business and culture to provide advice that is not only the most legally advantageous, but is also practical and economical. The business perspective that put him on the Firm’s executive committee, along with his technical know-how from training as a nuclear engineer, enable him to deliver in-depth advice on a range of issues faced by intellectual property intensive companies. As a result, he has earned acclaim as one of the "World’s Leading Intellectual Property Strategists" by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.

Recent Client Work

  • An information technology development company’s largest customer decided it needed a formal agreement to cover the services provided.  Most importantly, covering who would own and use the intellectual property related to what was developed.  Marshall, Gerstein & Borun negotiated a Master Services Agreement that kept the client’s biggest customer happy, ensuring that the intellectual property provisions allowed the client to maintain its other relationships and provided a platform for future growth.
  • When a large telecommunications company was sued by another large competitor, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun helped develop an offensive strategy that went far beyond defending the lawsuit.  We advised the client regarding third-party patents that could be asserted against the competitor, drafted and negotiated agreements with the third parties to acquire several patents, and asserted the patents against the competitor.  That strategy led to a favorable settlement for the client without the need for time-consuming and expensive trials.

Detailed Biography

Representative Experience

Mr. Gerstein has handled transaction and opinion matters for many client technologies, including:

  • Computers and software
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Medical devices
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Superconductors
  • Video games
  • Radio frequency filters

Background and Credentials

In addition to his client counseling and work on transactions and licenses, Mr. Gerstein is involved in patent, trademark, copyright, unfair competition and contract litigation.  He has prepared numerous legal opinions for clients, primarily involving contract interpretation, patent validity, patent infringement or patentability.  He has also conducted due diligence for intellectual property transactions, as well as the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions and public offerings.

His experience also includes patent and trademark prosecution.  The patent prosecution work relates to U.S. foreign and international patent applications and has included reexaminations and appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.

Mr. Gerstein strives to get a deep understanding of each client’s business and technology, and integrate all aspects of IP with the organization’s business goals.  The best solution for one client may not work for another due to their size, corporate cultures, product types and competitive landscape.  Applying a concerted and analytical approach, he uncovers as much as possible about the client and the marketplace.  That method leads to recommendations that the client can most easily use, while still affording the best legal protection.

Mr. Gerstein has been selected as one of the "World’s Leading Patent Practitioners" in 2012 and as one of the "World’s Leading Intellectual Property Strategists" for several years by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.  Mr. Gerstein is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell® 2009 Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and was also awarded its AV Peer Review Rating™. In 2013, he was recognized as a "Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property" by American Lawyer Media (ALM) and Martindale-Hubbell. He has been selected by the Chicago Law Bulletin’s Leading Lawyer Network as a "Leading Lawyer," was voted an Illinois Super Lawyer and was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

He has been with Marshall, Gerstein & Borun since 1988 and has been a partner since 1995.

In 1988, Mr. Gerstein graduated from The University of Michigan Law School, cum laude, and received his B.S.E., with honors, in Nuclear Engineering from the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1985.

Publications and Speeches

Community and Professional Involvement

  • American Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
  • American Bar Foundation

Representative Matters

Clients have benefitted from Mr. Gerstein's representation in the following cases:

Ballard Medical Products v. Bissell Medical Products*
U.S. District Court, District of Utah
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Berfield* v. White Consolidated Industries
Case Type(s): Arbitration
Area(s) of practice: Intellectual Property Transactions

Carrot Top, Inc. v. KES Irrigation Systems, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Directed Electronics, Inc. v. Code Alarm, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software

Dynamic Graphics, Inc.* v. Goldmind Publishing
Illinois State Court
Case Type(s): Copyright Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Copyrights

Gatsby's Inc.* v. Robert Bruce, et al.
Illinois State Court
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company et al.* v. Kroger et al.
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Johnson & Johnson v. The Procter and Gamble Co.*
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

JVM Innovations, LLC v. Spalding & Evenflow Companies v. Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc., et al.*
U.S. District Court, District of Ohio
Case Type(s): Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Trade Secrets

Kitchens of Sara Lee, Inc.* v. Sar A Lee, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement, Trade Dress
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Nabisco, Inc. v. Trolli, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, District of New York
Case Type(s): Trade Dress
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

National Gypsum Co.* v. Centex American Gypsum
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas
Case Type(s): General Civil Litigation
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

Oscar Mayer v. Sara Lee*
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement, Trade Dress, Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Oscar Mayer, Inc. v. Sara Lee Corp.*
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Copyright Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Copyrights

Paddock Pool Equipment, Inc.* v. Kiefer
Chancery Division, Circuit Court of Cook County
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

Precor Incorporated v. Sports Art Industrial Co., LTD*
U.S. District Court, Washington
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

Schwinn Cycling and Fitness* v. Mad Dogg Athletics
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Colorado
Case Type(s): General Civil Litigation
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

Sitrick* v. Electronic Arts, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Chicago
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software, Litigation

Sitrick* v. Nintendo of America, Inc. and Sega of America, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Electrical Arts/Computer Software

Stars Beverages v. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company*
U.S. District Court, Minnesota
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks, Litigation

The Bradbury Company* v. ASC Machine Tools, Inc.
U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

The Procter & Gamble Company* v. ICD Industries
U.S. District Court, District of Pennsylvania
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

The Procter & Gamble Company* v. Johnson & Johnson
U.S. District Court, District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

Toro Co. v. McCulloch Corp.*
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

Virtual World Entertainments Music, Inc. v. Bob Bejan* and Controlled Entropy*
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Licensing
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software, Litigation, Trade Secrets

*Party Represented

Short Biography

Education

  • The University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • University of Michigan, B.S., Nuclear Engineering, with honors

Practices

Industries

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Admitted to practice pro hac vice in various district courts throughout the U.S.

Publications

Memberships

  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC)

  • American Bar Association (ABA)

  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)

  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA)

  • Executives' Club of Chicago

News

Events

Robert M. Gerstein

Partner

For clients in a wide range of industries, Robert M. Gerstein prepares, negotiates and resolves disputes relating to patent, trademark, devolvement and other intellectual property agreements, counsels on all aspects of intellectual property and provides legal opinions. Building on over 20 years of experience, he treats each client individually, delving into their business and culture to provide advice that is not only the most legally advantageous, but is also practical and economical. The business perspective that put him on the Firm’s executive committee, along with his technical know-how from training as a nuclear engineer, enable him to deliver in-depth advice on a range of issues faced by intellectual property intensive companies. As a result, he has earned acclaim as one of the "World’s Leading Intellectual Property Strategists" by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.

  • T.312.474.6601
  • F.312.474.0448

Robert M. Gerstein

Robert M. Gerstein

Recent Client Work

  • An information technology development company’s largest customer decided it needed a formal agreement to cover the services provided.  Most importantly, covering who would own and use the intellectual property related to what was developed.  Marshall, Gerstein & Borun negotiated a Master Services Agreement that kept the client’s biggest customer happy, ensuring that the intellectual property provisions allowed the client to maintain its other relationships and provided a platform for future growth.
  • When a large telecommunications company was sued by another large competitor, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun helped develop an offensive strategy that went far beyond defending the lawsuit.  We advised the client regarding third-party patents that could be asserted against the competitor, drafted and negotiated agreements with the third parties to acquire several patents, and asserted the patents against the competitor.  That strategy led to a favorable settlement for the client without the need for time-consuming and expensive trials.

Detailed Biography

Representative Experience

Mr. Gerstein has handled transaction and opinion matters for many client technologies, including:

  • Computers and software
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Medical devices
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Superconductors
  • Video games
  • Radio frequency filters

Background and Credentials

In addition to his client counseling and work on transactions and licenses, Mr. Gerstein is involved in patent, trademark, copyright, unfair competition and contract litigation.  He has prepared numerous legal opinions for clients, primarily involving contract interpretation, patent validity, patent infringement or patentability.  He has also conducted due diligence for intellectual property transactions, as well as the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions and public offerings.

His experience also includes patent and trademark prosecution.  The patent prosecution work relates to U.S. foreign and international patent applications and has included reexaminations and appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.

Mr. Gerstein strives to get a deep understanding of each client’s business and technology, and integrate all aspects of IP with the organization’s business goals.  The best solution for one client may not work for another due to their size, corporate cultures, product types and competitive landscape.  Applying a concerted and analytical approach, he uncovers as much as possible about the client and the marketplace.  That method leads to recommendations that the client can most easily use, while still affording the best legal protection.

Mr. Gerstein has been selected as one of the "World’s Leading Patent Practitioners" in 2012 and as one of the "World’s Leading Intellectual Property Strategists" for several years by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.  Mr. Gerstein is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell® 2009 Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and was also awarded its AV Peer Review Rating™. In 2013, he was recognized as a "Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property" by American Lawyer Media (ALM) and Martindale-Hubbell. He has been selected by the Chicago Law Bulletin’s Leading Lawyer Network as a "Leading Lawyer," was voted an Illinois Super Lawyer and was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

He has been with Marshall, Gerstein & Borun since 1988 and has been a partner since 1995.

In 1988, Mr. Gerstein graduated from The University of Michigan Law School, cum laude, and received his B.S.E., with honors, in Nuclear Engineering from the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1985.

Publications and Speeches

Community and Professional Involvement

  • American Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
  • American Bar Foundation

Representative Matters

Clients have benefitted from Mr. Gerstein's representation in the following cases:

Ballard Medical Products v. Bissell Medical Products*
U.S. District Court, District of Utah
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Berfield* v. White Consolidated Industries
Case Type(s): Arbitration
Area(s) of practice: Intellectual Property Transactions

Carrot Top, Inc. v. KES Irrigation Systems, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Directed Electronics, Inc. v. Code Alarm, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software

Dynamic Graphics, Inc.* v. Goldmind Publishing
Illinois State Court
Case Type(s): Copyright Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Copyrights

Gatsby's Inc.* v. Robert Bruce, et al.
Illinois State Court
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company et al.* v. Kroger et al.
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Johnson & Johnson v. The Procter and Gamble Co.*
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

JVM Innovations, LLC v. Spalding & Evenflow Companies v. Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc., et al.*
U.S. District Court, District of Ohio
Case Type(s): Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Trade Secrets

Kitchens of Sara Lee, Inc.* v. Sar A Lee, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement, Trade Dress
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks

Nabisco, Inc. v. Trolli, Inc.*
U.S. District Court, District of New York
Case Type(s): Trade Dress
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

National Gypsum Co.* v. Centex American Gypsum
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas
Case Type(s): General Civil Litigation
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

Oscar Mayer v. Sara Lee*
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement, Trade Dress, Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts

Oscar Mayer, Inc. v. Sara Lee Corp.*
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Copyright Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Copyrights

Paddock Pool Equipment, Inc.* v. Kiefer
Chancery Division, Circuit Court of Cook County
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

Precor Incorporated v. Sports Art Industrial Co., LTD*
U.S. District Court, Washington
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

Schwinn Cycling and Fitness* v. Mad Dogg Athletics
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Colorado
Case Type(s): General Civil Litigation
Area(s) of practice: Litigation

Sitrick* v. Electronic Arts, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Chicago
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software, Litigation

Sitrick* v. Nintendo of America, Inc. and Sega of America, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Electrical Arts/Computer Software

Stars Beverages v. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company*
U.S. District Court, Minnesota
Case Type(s): Trademark Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Trademarks, Litigation

The Bradbury Company* v. ASC Machine Tools, Inc.
U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

The Procter & Gamble Company* v. ICD Industries
U.S. District Court, District of Pennsylvania
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

The Procter & Gamble Company* v. Johnson & Johnson
U.S. District Court, District of Wisconsin
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Mechanical Arts, Litigation

Toro Co. v. McCulloch Corp.*
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Case Type(s): Patent Infringement
Area(s) of practice: Litigation, Mechanical Arts

Virtual World Entertainments Music, Inc. v. Bob Bejan* and Controlled Entropy*
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Case Type(s): Licensing
Area(s) of practice: Electrical Arts/Computer Software, Litigation, Trade Secrets

*Party Represented

Short Biography

Robert M. Gerstein

Education

  • The University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • University of Michigan, B.S., Nuclear Engineering, with honors

Practices

Industries

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • Admitted to practice pro hac vice in various district courts throughout the U.S.

Publications

Memberships

  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC)

  • American Bar Association (ABA)

  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)

  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA)

  • Executives' Club of Chicago

News

Events

©2013 Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP