Our People
Carlynn B. Ferguson concentrates on U.S. and International Trademark Prosecution and Enforcement, including Anti-counterfeiting and Domain-Name issues, Copyright Protection & Enforcement and other Internet-related Intellectual Property matters. She has experience assisting clients ranging from start-up companies and artists to corporations with world-wide intellectual property portfolios on a variety of issues including trademark clearance, registration, maintenance and enforcement and copyright licensing and enforcement. She also specializes in enforcing client rights against counterfeiters, managing Criminal anti-counterfeiting actions in China and elsewhere, and against cybersquatters. Carlynn is admitted to the Bar of Illinois. She earned her J.D. and Certificate in Intellectual Property law from DePaul College of Law where she served as Legislative Updates Editor for DePaul's Journal of Art and Entertainment Law. She has a B.S. in Business Marketing (with Honors) from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Dermot Horgan works closely with a number of Global 500 corporations and with some of the largest privately-owned companies in the United States on various trade identity and trade secret issues. He also assists state government and medium-sized businesses. His day-to-day practice includes new-product roll-outs, establishment and acquisition of rights, maintenance, enforcement, trademark extensions and migration, local market considerations and global strategy. Dermot's experience covers a broad range of national and international trade identity, copyright, litigation, anti-counterfeiting and licensing aspects of intellectual property law as well as issues relating to the ownership and protection of confidential data. He has received national recognition for his skills, including being named for his outstanding service in a recent survey of General Counsel at the United States' largest corporations. Dermot earned his J.D. from DePaul College of Law, his Barrister-at-Law Degree from Kings Inns in Dublin and his BCL from University College Cork. He has been admitted to the Bars of Illinois, New York and the Trial Bar in the Republic of Ireland.
Dmitriy O. Makarov handles Anti-counterfeiting, Copyright, Domain-Name, Trademark, Trade Identity and Unfair Competition law matters. Dmitriy has been active in all aspects of international trademark law, from managing customs recordals, title updates and assignment recordals, to performing trademark clearance searches, conducting due-diligence portfolio reviews, preparing and prosecuting trademark applications and extensions of international registrations, to locating and investigating misuse, and enforcing clients' intellectual property rights. Dmitriy has successfully negotiated domain name transfers, investigated malicious e-mails with return address forged to identify a client, counseled clients on the technical aspects of the proposed new gTLD application process, and helped secure usernames for brands on social-media sites. He is fluent in Russian and has an extensive background in business and computer technology. Dmitriy has a B.S. in International Business from North Central College and earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Michael L. Kenaga is the Director of Patents. He is a registered patent attorney and his 20 years of patent experience include advising and counseling on patentability and other protection options including Trade Secret Law, providing infringement opinions, and preparing, filing and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications in the electrical and mechanical arts for large and mid-sized corporations. He has substantial experience in IP due diligence in connection with potential acquisitions of companies and his practice includes license-agreement work and litigation support. Michael is a regular speaker and lecturer on issues related to US and foreign patent practice. He is an electrical engineer by training (BSEE) and prior to law school worked for a telecom company and for a military and government contractor. Michael is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee (2004-2005), The Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, Past Treasurer (1997-1999), American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Licensing Executives Society.
Valerie Neymeyer-Tynkov focuses on drafting and prosecuting patents in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological, medical and chemical arts; preparing legal opinions; devising cost-saving strategies; and troubleshooting patent-related problems for clients. Her technical expertise includes over six years of bench experience in R&D and academic laboratories, including experience manufacturing product under cGMP protocols. Valerie obtained a J.D. with Honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she has since taught International Patent Law for several years as an Adjunct Professor of Law. Her educational background includes an M.S. in Pharmacology and a B.A. (with Honors) in Literature, Science and the Arts with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Iowa.
Mark A. Nieds focuses on U.S. and International Trademark Clearance and Prosecution, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Cancellations and Oppositions, Intellectual Property Litigation, Domain Name counseling, dispute resolution and other Internet-related matters, as well as Copyright and Unfair Competition matters. He has extensive experience in U.S. Trademark Clearance and Prosecution, with a particular emphasis on new-product roll-out, branding strategy and naming, working regularly with a number of large and small businesses, advertising and branding consultants on product naming and launch projects. Additionally, Mark has significant litigation experience in both the state and Federal Courts, as well as experience with Trademark Oppositions and Cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He also drafts and consults clients regarding numerous IP-related licenses and contracts as well as IP-related due diligence matters associated with business transactions. Mark earned his J.D., with honors, from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has a B.A. from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He is a member of the Illinois Bar.
Amanda R. Peluse concentrates on U.S. and International Trademark Prosecution and Enforcement, as well as Anti-Counterfeiting, Copyright, and Domain-name matters. She has counseled clients ranging from local not-for-profit organizations to multinational Fortune 500 corporations on a variety of issues including trademark conflict resolution, global counterfeiting, brand selection, copyright enforcement and general intellectual property portfolio management. Amanda has successfully prosecuted a wide variety of trademarks globally, from the clearance phase to registration, and has also represented clients in trademark opposition and cancellation actions in several jurisdictions throughout the world. She counsels trademark clients on anti-counterfeiting and domain misuse matters, having successfully enforced client rights against counterfeiters and cybersquatters alike. Amanda has been admitted to the Bar in the State of Illinois, and is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago's Trademarks Committee. She earned her B.A. from Princeton University and her J.D. and Certificate in Intellectual Property, Art and Museum Law from DePaul University College of Law.
Jeannine Rittenhouse concentrates on United States and International Trademark Prosecution and Enforcement, as well as Copyright, Trade Identity, Domain Name and Unfair Competition matters. She has counseled clients on an array of issues involving copyright protection and enforcement, secured copyright registrations and licenses on behalf of clients, successfully prosecuted a diverse group of trademark applications from the searching and clearance stage all the way through registration worldwide, represented clients in trademark oppositions and cancellations in multiple jurisdictions, and advised on issues involving the Internet and intellectual property. She has experience assisting a wide variety of clients that ranges from counseling small businesses, artists and authors on the registration and enforcement of their intellectual property rights, to advising multinational Fortune 500 corporations on the searching and clearance of new brands worldwide and on the maintenance, prosecution, protection and enforcement of their global trademark and domain portfolios. Jeannine is admitted to practice in the state of Illinois, has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin, earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and occasionally guest-lectures for the DePaul College of Law Technology/Intellectual Property Legal Clinic.
Gary Saposnik focuses on Domain Name counseling and dispute resolution, International Trademark Prosecution and Disputes, International Oppositions and Cancellations, Trade Secret counseling, Copyright and Social Media counseling and other Internet-related aspects of intellectual property. He has advised Fortune 500 companies regarding their domain name strategies, portfolios and enforcement, while protecting intellectual property assets and procuring domain names for clients through successful proceedings under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and other enforcement solutions. Gary has successfully prosecuted numerous International and U.S. trademark applications and represented clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings throughout Europe, Asia, and all parts of the world. He has had extensive civil litigation experience and has been admitted to the Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois. Gary earned an LL.M. degree in Intellectual Property, with Honors, from The John Marshall Law School, he received a J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He is a former Chair of the International Trademark Committee and Vice-Chair of the U.S. Trademark Committee of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago.
Sean Swidler concentrates on U.S. and international Patent, Trademark, Trade Secret and Copyright matters including prosecution of applications and related litigation in the federal and state courts, and in administrative proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He has prosecuted a broad range of patents, including those for medical, mechanical and electro-mechanical devices along with software and business methods inventions. Sean is experienced in all phases of patent and trademark litigation and has spent time litigating patent claims associated with generic drug applications and medical devices, as well as trademark matters. Sean also assists clients in advertising and promotions matters, including addressing fair use and comparative advertising issues and legal requirements for running sweepstakes and contests. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He earned his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa and his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and regularly guest-lectures at Columbia College in Chicago on a number of marketing and advertising topics.
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The Qualities of Our People
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IpHorgan’s lawyers, paralegals and support personnel bring passion and
belief to the matters entrusted to our firm.
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We are committed to building long-term relationships with our clients. We
consider our clients to be business partners.
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We develop a detailed knowledge of our clients’ businesses.
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We are advocates for our clients within the firm.
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We are always looking for ways to build relationships and make our clients more
productive.
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We always seek to improve the quality of our services.
