Chris Griesmeyer concentrates his practice on commercial disputes with an emphasis on business torts and unfair competition claims, intellectual property disputes, employment claims, and general commercial matters.  He has served as lead trial counsel in a number of successful trials to verdict across the country. 

 

Chris’ litigation and trial experience includes several multi-million dollar awards in arbitration proceedings before the AAA and FINRA (including its predecessors, the NYSE and NASD).  He frequently counsels and represents employers and C-level executives in the enforcement and defense of restrictive covenants, as well as in litigating the related business torts that frequently accompany those actions, such as fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion and trade secret misappropriation.  Chris has also served as regional products liability trial counsel for a number of Fortune 500 companies involving products such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, construction equipment, industrial machines and processing lines, and toxic chemicals.  Some of Chris’ more recent accomplishments are listed below.

EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION / UNFAIR COMPETITION:

 

• Obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions against former key employees and primary competitor on behalf of industrial fluids manufacturer and distributor

 

• Successful defense of a “bet-the-company” trade secret lawsuit by a Fortune 100 chemical company (avoided temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, and negotiated favorable resolution of dispute – including reduction in geographic scope and period of restriction by more than 85% – within two weeks of receipt of complaint)

 

• Obtained dismissal of breach of fiduciary duty and trade secret misappropriation lawsuits filed against key employees and new employers in pharmaceutical and packaging industries

 

• Successful defense of an "anti-raiding" lawsuit by the world's largest electronics recycling company

 

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of aerospace manufacturer in high-profile religious discrimination lawsuit

 

• Obtained early dismissal of Title VII discrimination claim based on race and national origin against leading Chicago hospital

 

• Successful defense and early dismissal of FLSA claim by key account manager and outside sales representative

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION:

 

• Obtained emergency temporary restraining order in an international patent and trademark infringement lawsuit, including supplemental contempt order based on defendant’s failure to strictly comply with TRO

 

• Lead plaintiff’s counsel in several successful trademark and copyright infringement lawsuits filed across the country on behalf of national commercial real estate brokerage firm

 

• Lead defense counsel in the notable Billy Goat Tavern trademark and copyright lawsuit against Florida-based franchisor

 

• Successful defense of copyright infringement lawsuit filed by leading record label against karaoke manufacturer and distributer

 

• Successful prosecution of copyright infringement and unfair competition claims against Top-25 artist by leading independent record label

 

PRODUCTS LIABILITY / COMMERCIAL LITIGATION:

 

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of designer and manufacturer of food irradiation system in $35 million product liability and spoliation of evidence lawsuit

 

• Successful defense of staffing agency in catastrophic injury involving glass cullet processing equipment

 

• Managed nationwide voluntary product recall with Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) under agency’s Fast-Track Program on behalf of industrial lighting component parts manufacturer and supplier

 

• Regional defense counsel for several manufacturers of asbestos-containing products

 

• Successful defense of manufacturer in catastrophic injury and fatality involving superheated coal tar pitch

 

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of medical device manufacturer in fatality involving surgical vein grafts

 

• Defense counsel for construction equipment manufacturer and distributors in negligent design / warnings cases

 

• Successful defense of Major League Baseball team in personal tort action

 

Prior to founding Greiman, Rome & Griesmeyer, Chris was a partner at Levenfeld Pearlstein, where he also served as the Vice-Chair of the firm’s litigation group.  He was previously associated with Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, and Altheimer & Gray.  Chris was named an Illinois Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in 2009 and 2010, and he is proud to serve as Secretary and General Counsel on the National Board of Directors for The Children’s Heart Foundation.

 

MEMBERSHIPS:

 

American Bar Association – Labor & Employment Law Section, Litigation Section

 

Defense Research Institute (DRI) – Products Liability Committee

 

BAR ADMISSIONS:

 

Illinois Supreme Court

 

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar

 

U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

 

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

 

U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

 

EDUCATION:

 

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1999

 

Northwestern University, B.A. – Philosophy, 1996