Nicole E. Reifman is a partner with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP and serves as Chair of the firm’s Mechanical & Materials Practice Group. Ms. Reifman has diverse experience in obtaining, evaluating, and enforcing intellectual property.
Ms. Reifman has experience in all phases of patent preparation and prosecution and reliably guides clients in a wide range of mechanical, materials science, and electro-mechanical technologies, building from her training and prior work experience in mechanical engineering. Her prior work experience includes internships with Caterpillar Inc., Caterpillar France S.A., and Stryker Medical. Examples of Ms. Reifman’s technical expertise in the mechanical and materials fields relate to automotive diagnostics and engines, piping materials, medical devices, including catheters, stents, wound care, and breastpumps, ultrasound technology, and consumer products. Ms. Reifman’s representation ranges from small start-ups to multi-national companies.
Additionally, Ms. Reifman has extensive experience working with clients to establish an internal process for identifying patentable ideas and to protect and enforce all aspects of their intellectual property, including patent, trademark, and copyright counseling. She enjoys working closely with in-house counsel to ensure that her client is positioned to meet all business goals and objectives, whether they relate to competitive strategy, international markets, or financial outcome.
Ms. Reifman also provides counseling regarding the procurement, enforcement, and licensing of intellectual property rights, including trademark, trade secret, and copyright issues. Ms. Reifman actively manages trademark portfolios and develops brand building and protection strategies for her clients.
Education
B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Mechanical Engineering
J.D., University of Illinois College of Law,
Cum Laude; University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology, and Policy, Recent Developments Editor
Bar Admissions
Illinois
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Memberships
International Trademark Association
Pro Bono Committee Member
Chicago Bar Association
University of Illinois MechSE Alumni Board
Chicago Children’s Choir
Ambassadors Board Member
Illinois Super Lawyers – Rising Star
Patent Prosecution Experience:
Overseeing, developing, and managing patent portfolio for multinational health care services company
Assisting companies with evaluating portfolios of issued patents and pending patent applications related to medical devices in connection with the companies’ acquisitions of the portfolios
Authoring opinions related to infringement, non-infringement, validity, invalidity, and unenforceability
Managing freedom-to-operate efforts for mechanical products, including medical device, healthcare, and storage and security products
Litigation Experience:
Representing one of the world’s largest multinational pharmaceutical companies in medical device litigation matters before the U.S. District Courts
Counseling a food manufacturer in connection with trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, and breach of contract disputes
Trademark Experience:
Overseeing, developing, managing, and enforcing trademark portfolio for one of the largest national media broadcaster corporations
Counseled grammy nominee performing artists in connection with numerous trademark matters
Developing comprehensive branding strategy for health care start ups
