Jeanne M. Gills Named an Honoree at Corporate Counsel 2022 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards
Corporate Counsel selected Foley & Lardner LLP Partner Jeanne M. Gills as an honoree for Innovative Leadership as part of its 2022 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards.
These awards honor general counsels, in-house leaders, and law firms partners who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. The Innovative Leadership category recognizes ‘idea’ women, those who are powering change and developing novel strategies for improved solutions.
Gills is a member of Foley’s Management and Compensation Committees and serves as vice chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. Her innovative and creative approaches to advising clients on global IP strategy and as lead trial counsel in complex IP disputes, appeals, and USPTO post-grant proceedings have allowed her to represent some of the largest companies across diverse industries.
Gills’ drive to bring more gender and racial diversity to the legal profession led her to found Foley’s African-American Attorneys Affinity Group, which she later chaired. She also co-founded the Chicago Black Partners Alliance, a professional networking group that works to improve the recruitment, retention, advancement, and promotion of Black and other diverse attorneys in Chicago-area law firms and corporations, and she is a founding member of the Black Patent Network, a network of Black in-house, law firm, and government attorneys focused on expanding opportunities for Black and other diverse attorneys in the intellectual property field.
Honorees will be recognized at an awards dinner on October 18, 2022, as part of Corporate Counsel’s Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference in Washington, D.C.