Steven McMahon Zeller

Member


Steve Zeller is a seasoned patent attorney and IP practitioner who is as comfortable immersed in the details of complex technology as he is in the boardroom or courtroom. Combining business perspective, technical knowledge, and legal insights, Steve provides comprehensive counsel for businesses of all stripes that want to develop, manage, protect, and leverage their IP portfolios for maximum advantage.

Providing practical advice and strategic advocacy in equal measure, Steve prides himself on his ability to address every issue that intersects with intellectual property matters. His practice includes patent prosecution, patent, trademark, and trade secret litigation, strategic patent counseling and portfolio management, patent options, and due diligence for corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Steve leverages his engineering background to secure both domestic and international IP protection for technology-oriented companies and entrepreneurs in a wide range of other industries.

He practices in a broad spectrum of technology fields, including speakers and microphones, linear actuators, fuel injectors, ceramic capacitors, cardiac catheters, cable conduit, compact fluorescent lights, and bicycle components.

In all aspects of his practice, Steve considers the real-world, big-picture implications of every decision, strategy, or transaction involving a client's intellectual property assets. He is a counselor in the truest sense, delivering clear, thoughtful, actionable guidance that his clients can use to make informed business decisions.

When threats arise, or rights need to be vindicated, Steve's extensive litigation experience allows him to parry those threats and advance his clients' interests efficiently and in a manner that aligns with his client's overall business objectives.

Befitting Dykema's firmwide commitment to pro bono work, Steve volunteers to represent individuals in various litigation matters, including remedying mortgage fraud, redressing employment discrimination and assiting in the protection of children involed in international parental abduction.

The creativity and commitment involved in developing new technologies and innovations should be matched by equally creative and committed IP representation. That is what I strive to deliver for every client in every matter.
    • Northwestern University, J.D., dean's list, Law Review, Note & Comment Editor
    • Iowa State University, B.S.M.E., dean's list, Pi Tau Sigma
  • Bar Admissions

    • Illinois, 1996
  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
    • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Patent Law; Trade Secrets, 2021-Present

    • Recognized in Illinois Super Lawyers® for Intellectual Property Litigation and Intellectual Property, 2015-2018; 2022-Present

    • Recognized in Managing Intellectual Property magazine as a "2015 IP Star" for Patent Litigation

    • American Intellectual Property Law Association, Patent Law, Patent Litigation and Professional Program Committees, Member
    • American Bar Association, Intellectual Property and Litigation Sections, Member
    • Intellectual Property Committee of the ABA's Litigation Section, Member
    • Litigation Committee, Intellectual Property Owners Association, Member
    • Housing Forward, Board of Directors (2021-2024)

Latest News and Insights

Publications1.29.24

Intellectual Property Update and Year in Review | January 2024

In this newsletter, Dykema IP attorneys provide insights on key developments of 2023 and look to…

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Press Releases1.25.24

12 Dykema Attorneys Listed as 2024 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 10 attorneys from the firm’s Chicago…

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Press Releases8.17.23

194 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 194 of its attorneys, in multiple practice…

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