Thomas R. Dee
Shareholder
T: 312-609-7746
F: 312-609-5005
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Chicago
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E:
Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation Group
Thomas R. Dee is a shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the litigation and intellectual property practice areas of the firm. He has extensive jury and bench trial experience in complex commercial matters, including breach of contract, products liability, trademark, copyright and patent infringement, trade secret violations and enforcement of restrictive covenants. Mr. Dee has substantial experience in actions involving temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions.
Mr. Dee represents clients ranging from internet/e-businesses to Fortune 500 companies in federal and state courts across the country and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He has appeared and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court and the Federal Circuit and the Seventh and Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. Dee regularly counsels corporations and individuals on how to protect corporate assets, including employee relationships, confidential information and trade secrets. He is a founding member of Vedder Price’s Unfair Competition Sub-Practice Group.
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Recent Victories
In Grayline v. Garden Ridge , Mr. Dee obtained a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from importing and/or selling products which infringed on our client’s trademarks, copyrights and patents. In addition his client received significant damages and attorneys fees.
In Dana Classic Fragrances v. F&F Industries et. al ., Mr. Dee obtained permanent injunction against a number of defendants prohibiting their sales of knock-off English Leather products. His client also received damages and fees far in excess of the costs of litigation.
In CL Enterprises v. Law Title, et al ., Mr. Dee achieved a significant settlement on behalf of a client who was defrauded out of over $1.5 million dollars. Out of the amount lost, Mr. Dee was able to recoup over $1 million dollars in settlement.
In AAMG v. Oakland Deposit Bank , Mr. Dee obtained a large settlement against a number of defendants we claimed engaged in a complex mortgage fraud scheme.
Recent Trial Experience
In Celander v. Loyola University , Mr. Dee successfully defended Loyola University of Chicago in an alleged breach of employment contract case brought by a former University professor. The plaintiff sought two years of salary and benefits and unspecified damages for failure to grant tenure. At trial, Mr. Dee established that Loyola properly dismissed the plaintiff when it found out that the plaintiff breached his contract by teaching at another institution without Loyola's knowledge or consent.
PRG-Schultz International v. Krix
Mr. Dee also served as lead trial counsel to PRG-Schultz International and PRGS in a trade secret/copyright infringement suit against a competitor who was accused of misappropriating a highly proprietary software program. After defeating its motion for summary judgment and a day before trial, the competitor agreed to withdraw the offending portions of its software program from the market.
Mr. Dee also successfully defended Loyola University of Chicago during an eight-week trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The plaintiff filed a multi-count complaint claiming that Loyola forced him out of business. Despite a great deal of negative pre-trial publicity, Mr. Dee established that Loyola did not cause the plaintiff's business to fail. At the end of the trial, Loyola was found innocent on all counts.
Heartland Bank v. Heartland Home Finance
Mr. Dee also successfully defended Heartland Home Finance before a jury in a trademark infringement action in the Eastern District of Missouri Federal Court. After the plaintiff put on its case in chief, Mr. Dee moved for and obtained a directed verdict. After the case was remanded by the 8th Circuit, Mr. Dee successfully argued for and received an award of more than $130,000.00 in attorneys' fees paid by the plaintiff and its counsel. The remainder of the case settled shortly thereafter.
Recently Reported Decisions
Strata Marketing v. Murphy, et al., 317 Ill.App.3d 1054 (1st Dist. 2000) (restrictive covenant, trade secret)
PRG-Schultz International v. Krix, et al., 2003 WL 22232771 (N.D. Ill. 2003) (trade secret, copyright infringement)
Heartland Bank v. Heartland Home Finance, 335 F.3d 810 (8th Cir. 2003) (trademark infringement)
Ardisam v. Hunter's View, 336 F.Supp.2d 867 (W.D. WI 2004) (patent infringement)
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- J.D., cum laude, The John Marshall Law School, 1993
- M.B.A., Finance, Dominican University School of Business, 1993
- B.A., Dominican University, 1983
- Illinois, 1993
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1993, including trial bar, 1996
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 2006
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, 2000
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, 2002
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 2004
- Member, International Trademark Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors of the Public Interest Law Initiative
- Member, Dominican University Alumni Leadership Board
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