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Theodore Chiacchio


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Office: (312) 815-2384

307 N Michigan Ave #2011
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Theodore Chiacchio is an experienced intellectual property attorney registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Founder and Owner of Chiacchio IP, LLC, and an author in the field of IP law. Theodore has been practicing intellectual property law for over a decade and a half.

Theodore thrives on helping businesses of all sizes, as well as individuals, navigate the often-choppy waters of intellectual property; be it in the area of patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets. Theodore enjoys very much being a part of a larger effort to obtain and/or enforce his clients’ IP rights. Theodore also enjoys defending clients who have been targeted by an IP owner. With his tremendous facility with all aspects of IP law, Theodore enjoys analyzing how it makes the most sense for his clients to proceed in light of his clients’ business goals and priorities as well as cost considerations and advising his clients accordingly.

Patent: Theodore regularly prepares and prosecutes patent applications. Theodore is laser-focused on learning the specific technologies involved in his clients’ matters through the prism of his patent law expertise. While Theodore’s formal training was as a biologist, Theodore has, over the course of his career, become highly knowledgeable regarding many other technologies, including mechanical technologies, computer hardware and software (including innovative email platforms and machine learning visualization platforms), LED lighting systems, sensor/tracking technology used by shipping companies, digital media networks, heating systems, and fluid level monitoring systems, to name just a few. Theodore’s having spent well over a decade litigating high-stakes patent cases enables him to offer unique value to his clients when they are pursuing patent protection because he is able to see potential issues down the road and help his clients head them off.

Trademark: Theodore also maintains a thriving trademark practice. Theodore has prepared, filed, and prosecuted to allowance and registration many U.S. trademark applications. Theodore has also served (and continues to serve) as lead trial counsel in multiple trademark infringement actions, both on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. Theodore is currently spear-heading a trademark enforcement campaign on behalf of a major dietary supplement manufacturer.

Copyright: Theodore counsels clients regarding an array of copyright matters. Theodore has applied for and obtained for clients many U.S. copyright registrations, including for visual artistry and literary pieces, among other expressive works. Theodore has drafted many copyright licensing agreements and routinely negotiates the terms of such agreements with his clients’ potential business partners. Theodore very much enjoys working with writers and artists to ensure both that their copyright rights are not violated and that they minimize their risk of liability when others’ copyright rights are involved. Theodore is also highly knowledgeable regarding the veritable maze of rights and licenses relevant to licensing musical works, including synchronization rights, public performance rights, master rights, and likeness rights. Theodore is routinely in communication with music publishers and performance rights organizations as part of efforts to secure rights for his clients to use musical works.

Trade Secret: Theodore is also highly experienced handling trade secret matters. Theodore routinely counsels clients regarding strategies for maintaining the sorts of security precautions necessary to retain trade secret status for sensitive business information. Theodore has served as lead trial counsel in a trade secret litigation involving theft of his client’s source code for a high-frequency securities trading algorithm. Theodore is regularly called upon to counsel his clients regarding the pros and cons of trade secret protection versus patent protection, taking into account the strength of the protection, the costs involved, the duration of protection, and other considerations.

Equally as important as Theodore’s intellectual property expertise, however, is his genuine desire to obtain results for those who place their trust and confidence in him. Theodore is dedicated to his clients and highly responsive to communications from clients.

When not servicing the Firm’s valued clients, Theodore is busy, together with his wife, raising their two children. Theodore is also an avid fitness enthusiast, running between 20-25 miles per week. Theodore enjoys reading for leisure as well. Theodore spends significant amounts of what would otherwise be down-time drafting articles and posts regarding intellectual property issues and speaking on IP-related topics.

Education
  • J.D., Cornell University Law School (Ithaca, NY)
    Managing Editor, Cornell Int’l Law Journal; Member, Moot Court Board.
  • University of Paris I (Sorbonne) (Paris, France)
    Summer Coursework.
  • B.A., Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)
    Dual major: Biology and French Literature.
Bar Admissions
  • State of Illinois
  • State of New York
  • State of New Jersey
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Professional Associations
  • American Bar Association
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association

Client Reviews
★★★★★
When I first started looking for a lawyer in the US, I had no idea what to expect. I represent an international online retailer from China and we were unfamiliar with the US legal system. An urgent legal message from the plaintiff regarding a trademark infringement case started my search for an experienced trademark lawyer. After calling and speaking to a wide variety of costly lawyers and law firms, I realized that Ted was one of the few personable, professional, and intelligent options that I came across during my search. Not only did he show me that he valued my time, but also my opinion and decisions regarding the case. If you are currently looking for an experienced trademark lawyer for your case, I strongly recommend you give Ted or his office a call and see what they can do for you. 老单
★★★★★
Ted is an outstanding Intellectual Property attorney that truly cares about his clients' needs. During one of the most stressful times of my life, Ted gave me the assurance and confidence that everything would be okay. His knowledge and expertise allowed us to find a swift and positive solution to my matter. As a lawyer myself, I can honestly say that Ted is a world-class attorney and I highly recommend him to anyone that has Intellectual Property needs. Blake Hall
★★★★★
I am a financial executive who has worked in the life sciences industry (pharma/biotech/med device) for over 15 years now. I have known Ted for over 20 years, during the course of which he has provided to me patent and other intellectual property-related advice. Ted has an extraordinary depth of patent law knowledge gained from many years of practicing at top tier corporate law firms. I find him to be incredibly thorough, thoughtful, practical and responsive and look forward to continuing to benefit from his capabilities and guidance in the future. Scott Kain
★★★★★
Working with Chiacchio IP was extremely easy and a great experience. Very knowledgeable and was able to help with my trademark matter in a responsive and timely manner. Highly recommend! Andrew Gilman, Owner, Northline Property Group
★★★★★
Theodore Chiacchio offered us exceptional help with our legal situation. He is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. It was apparent from our first conversation that he was right on track and knew exactly what to do to provide us with security and an outcome that was both fair and reasonable. We felt at ease and confident with Theodore. In what was a very difficult and unwanted situation he made much easier. Rebecca Cappelli, Owner, Songbird Studios Inc.
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