Elias P. Soupos advises clients on all aspects of intellectual property law, with a particular emphasis on patent procurement, strategy, and counseling. Drawing on his prior experience as a design and development engineer in the automotive industry, where he worked extensively with control systems, as well as his graduate training in business administration, he brings both deep technical insight and practical business perspective to his practice.
His work spans the preparation and prosecution of utility and design patent applications, post-grant proceedings, patent reexaminations, trade secret protection, litigation, licensing, and IP-related due diligence. He also provides strategic counseling and prepares opinions relating to patentability, validity, infringement, and freedom to operate.
Elias has represented clients across a broad range of technologies, including:
- Automotive components and control devices
- Engine systems and related components
- Robotics
- Industrial and construction equipment
- Mobile devices and accessories
- Metal forming and casting machinery
- Burners
- Building materials
- Optics and lighting
- Aviation components
- Locking mechanisms
- Kitchen and bath fixtures
- Laundry equipment
- Sealing technologies
- Rail systems
- Medical devices
- Hand and power tools
- Oil industry equipment
- Spray nozzles
- Filtration systems
- Tires
- Gaming devices
- Pool products
- Jewelry and personal accessories
- Cleaning products and tools
- Food and cosmetics packaging
- Sprayers
- Trade displays
- Cabinetry
- Furniture
- Other mechanical, electromechanical, and consumer products
Elias is fluent in French and Greek.
- Manages extensive global portfolio and IP asset procurement and management for worldwide leader active in the fields of electrification products, robotics, industrial automation, and drive technology, offering innovative solutions for industry, power supply, and infrastructure.
- Represented large global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives company in rendering opinions and preparing numerous patent applications in the U.S. and other countries.
- Attained favorable settlement terms for plaintiff in patent litigation asserting manufacturing methods for laser marking of electrical fish tape (Klein Tools, Inc. v. Ideal Industries, Inc., 1:19-cv-03604, (N.D. Ill.))
- Attained favorable settlement terms for plaintiff in design patent litigation asserting designs for vehicle electrical charging devices (Custom Accessories Inc. v. Premier Accessory Group, LLC, 1:14-cv-09455, (N.D. Ill.))
- Successfully defended validity of U.S. patent after a related patent had been invalidated in Europe, which led to a favorable settlement for the patent owner in related litigation (Ingenico Inc. v. SPA Syspatronic AG, 1:2008cv01255, (N.D. Ga))
Publications
- “International Design Protection Under the Hague Agreement,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, December 7, 2015.
- “Considerations for Using Post-Grant Proceedings to Attack Patent Validity”, Landslide, September/October 2014.
- “New post-grant proceedings in patent litigation may help clients,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, July 18, 2013.
- Huang, C., Naguib, A., Soupos, E. and Najafi, K., “A Silicon Micromachined Microphone for Fluid Mechanics Research,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 12, no. 6, September 2002: 767–774.
- U.S. Bar / EPO Liaison Council Delegate
- Intellectual Property Owners Association
- Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
- Hellenic Bar Association, Member
