Biography
Drew Bateman builds, prosecutes, and protects patent portfolios for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start‑ups. He advises on patent strategy and other patent‑related matters, bringing a practical, business‑minded approach to helping innovators secure and defend mission‑critical IP rights in the U.S. and internationally. Drew’s prosecution practice is strengthened by patent litigation experience, allowing him to develop protection strategies with an eye toward enforcement, risk, and long‑term portfolio value.
Drew’s work spans a broad range of electrical and software‑driven technologies, including wireless communications, machine learning (including deep neural networks and regression models), cloud computing, digital advertising platforms, high‑speed network switches, mapping/navigation tools, medical devices, nanotechnology, industrial process control systems, and fintech/insurtech innovations. He supports clients with opinions and counseling on infringement and validity, including freedom‑to‑operate analyses, and he also assists with pre‑litigation and transactional diligence. His practice includes experience with standard‑essential patent (SEP) work, helping clients navigate sophisticated patent landscapes where technical standards and commercial strategy intersect.
Before practicing law, Drew spent a decade in research and development as an electrical engineer at Motorola, designing and testing radio frequency hardware systems across wireless communication platforms and working alongside numerous contributors to air interface standards—experience that continues to inform his technical fluency and efficiency in protecting complex innovations. He earned his J.D. with high honors from Chicago‑Kent College of Law, where he served as Executive Articles Editor of the Chicago‑Kent Law Review and externed for Judge Amy J. St. Eve in the Northern District of Illinois, and he holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering. Drew is admitted in Illinois and Nebraska and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Drew has earned peer‑recognized distinctions for his intellectual property work, including selection to The Best Lawyers in America® (recognized since 2025) and inclusion among Marshall Gerstein attorneys named to the 2026 edition. He is also highlighted in connection with the firm’s Tier 1 Chicago ranking for Intellectual Property in The Legal 500 (2025), reflecting the market’s view of the team’s strength and his role within it.
Representative Experience
- Portfolio management at scale: Manages large patent portfolios on behalf of multiple Fortune 100 companies, coordinating strategy and prosecution to build durable IP positions.
- High‑tech patent prosecution: Prepared and prosecuted patent applications across a wide range of technologies, including wireless communications, AI/machine learning, cloud computing, digital advertising, network infrastructure, and mapping/navigation tools.
- Freedom‑to‑operate / risk counseling: Advised clients on patent infringement and validity issues, including freedom‑to‑operate opinions and product‑clearance analyses to support launch and investment decisions.
- Litigation‑informed strategy & positions: Developed litigation positions such as claim construction, non‑infringement, and invalidity analyses for complex patent disputes (supporting stronger prosecution and enforcement planning).
- Diligence & pre‑dispute communications: Supported pre‑litigation and transactional diligence and assisted with responses to demand letters and other pre‑litigation communications, aligning legal strategy with business objectives.
Drew has capably represented clients in many different areas, including:
- Wireless communications
- Machine learning (e.g., deep neural networks, regression models)
- Drug development software tools
- Pharmaceutical process control systems
- Visual inspection systems
- Nanotechnology
- Cloud computing
- Medical devices
- Industrial process control systems
- Digital advertising
- Mapping/navigation tools
- High-speed network switches
- E-commerce
- Insurance industry innovations
- Financial industry innovations
- Cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFT)
Background and Credentials
Drew earned his J.D. with high honors at Chicago-Kent College of Law. During law school he served as an executive articles editor of the Chicago-Kent Law Review, and served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Amy J. St. Eve in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He earned a B.S. in electrical engineering, with honors, at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and an M.S. in electrical engineering at National Technological University.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Drew worked for 10 years at Motorola as an electrical engineer, where he researched, designed, and tested radio frequency hardware systems for a wide variety of wireless communication platforms.
Education
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (J.D.)
- National Technological University (M.S.)
- Electrical Engineering
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.S.)
- Electrical Engineering