Jeanne M. Gills Named Champion of Strategic Innovation by National Bar Association
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Jeanne M. Gills was named a Champion of Strategic Innovation at the National Bar Association’s (NBA) 2025 Excellence in Tech & IP Awards.
Gills, vice-chair of Foley’s national Intellectual Property Department, is a leading intellectual property attorney who advocates for clients across a diverse array of industries, including electronics, manufacturing, fashion, and biotechnology. She acts as lead trial counsel in complex patent, trade secret, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition litigation and appeals and delivers high-value IP strategy development and risk mitigation counsel in transactional matters.
Committed to advancing the legal profession and the careers of those around her, Gills founded Foley’s African American Attorneys Affinity Group, the Black Patent Network, and the Chicago Black Partners Alliance.
Founded in 1925, the NBA is the nation’s oldest and largest association of Black lawyers, judges, legal practitioners, and law students. With a mission to advance justice, promote civil rights, and support the professional development of its members, the NBA continues to be a leading voice for equity and justice in the profession.
Gills received the award on July 29, 2025, at the NBA Tech Summit & Excellence in Tech & IP Awards Luncheon in Chicago during the organization’s Centennial Convention—marking 100 years of advancing justice, protecting civil rights, and building community through law.
