Overview
Craig S. Fochler is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where he is chair of the Chicago Intellectual Property Department. Craig is experienced in all aspects of domestic and international trademark, copyright and unfair competition law. His experience includes litigating trademark and advertising issues throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries. Craig is a member of the firm’s IP Litigation, and Trademark, Copyright & Advertising Practices and the Food & Beverage Industry Team.
He has represented a wide variety of clients, including: cable television companies; computer hardware and software companies; financial institutions; food and candy processors; machinery and automotive manufacturers; personal care product manufacturers; retail chain stores; sports card manufacturers; and various nonprofit organizations. Craig also has extensive experience in intellectual property and transactional matters, including mergers; acquisitions; domestic and foreign trademark and copyright registration; and licensing programs.
Publications
From 1986 through 1992 Craig was the Illinois law editor of the United States Trademark Association’s treatise State Trademark And Unfair Competition Law (1987), and principal contributor to the analytic text for the law school casebooks Trademarks, Trade Identity And Unfair Competition Practices: Cases and Materials (1974), Unfair Competition and Unfair Trade Practices (1985) and Trademarks (1987).
Affiliations
Craig’s teaching experience includes acting adjunct professor for trademarks and unfair competition at Northwestern University School of Law and guest lecturer of deceptive advertising and expert evidence in trade identity and deceptive advertising actions for the master of law program at John Marshall School of Law.
Presentations
Craig has lectured and spoken at numerous bar and professional association legal education programs.
Recognition
Craig has been named in the 2019 World Trademark Review's "WTR 1000" directory, where he is described as "highly experienced in trademark and advertising litigation.” In 2010, Craig was named a BTI Client Service All-Star, an elite group of attorneys nominated solely and exclusively by clients in BTI’s independent study as delivering the absolute best in client service. He was also recognized in 2010 - 2014 and 2016 by The Legal 500 and was selected for inclusion in the 2005, 2007, 2009–2016 Illinois Super Lawyers® lists. Additionally, he is a 2014 recipient of Foley’s Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award, presented annually to recognize outstanding mentoring to our young attorneys.*
Education
Craig received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1971 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College in 1968.
Admissions
Craig has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh, Tenth and Federal Circuits; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin; the United States District Court for District of Arizona; and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Professional Memberships and Community Involvement
He is a member of the American Bar Association and the Promotional Marketing Association. Craig has been commissioner of the Lighthouse Park District in Evanston, Illinois since 1982, and was a captain in the U.S. Army where he served from 1968 to 1976.
*The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.