Peter Prommer has over 20 years of experience providing value-added counsel to technology-focused businesses, from emerging companies to leading global corporations, on strategies to build, protect, and leverage intellectual property portfolios that align with their business objectives. His practice focuses on patent portfolio management, domestic and foreign patent preparation and prosecution, and intellectual property transactional matters. Peter further has extensive experience preparing patent opinions for effectively counseling clients on enforcement and avoidance strategies, including clearance, infringement, and invalidity opinions. His experience includes working with companies in a variety of technical fields, such as mechanical, electronics, software, and materials, in a host of different industries including healthcare, biotech, electronics, software, computer hardware, higher education, fintech, gaming, manufacturing, telecommunications, consumer, and infrastructure.
In addition to providing counsel on intellectual property procurement, transactional, and opinion matters, Peter’s experience extends to providing guidance on post-grant and effective enforcement strategies. He further advises clients on trademark, copyright, as well as, agreements on general IP matters.
Prior to joining EIP, Peter was a partner in the intellectual property practices of a Global 100 law firm and an AmLaw 200 law firm, along with a San Francisco-based IP law firm. Following his graduate engineering studies, he practiced for several years with leading global engineering firms, including providing consulting and expert services as a license professional engineer.
Peter is further active in the international and local communities. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, where he previously served as President and on various board and committee chair positions since 2016. He also serves on the Transatlantic Advisory Council of Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany, and is a member of the Hamburg Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, a division of World Business Chicago. In addition, he is a volunteer with the New Trier Rowing Parents Organization.
Published articles
- May 2020
Intellectual Property & Tech. Law Journal, More Certainty on Limits to Early Section 101 Challenges – How Will This Impact Patent Owners and Applicants? Vol. 32, No. 5 (Co-Author) (link) - September 1996
Fifth International Conference on the Application of Stress-Wave Theory to Piles, Orlando, FL (co-author), Effects of Intervening Structure on Impulse Response Signals, Proceedings - January 1995
US/Taiwan Geotechnical Engineering Collaboration Workshop (co-author), Non-destructive Evaluation of Existing Deep Foundations, Proceedings
Education
-
2003
J.D., magna cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law -
2002
Special studies in International and Comparative Business Law, Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany -
1994
M.S. in Engineering, Walter P. Murphy Fellow, Northwestern University -
1993
B.S. in Engineering with honors, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Career history
- 2025 — Present
Partner , EIP - 2024 — 2025
Partner , Pranger Law PC - 2022 — 2024
Partner , Michael Best & Friedrich LLP - 2007 — 2022
Partner , Nixon Peabody LLP - 2003 — 2007
Associate, McAndrews, Held, & Malloy Ltd.
Awards and recognition
- Illinois Super Lawyers
Languages spoken
- German (Intermediate)
Speaking engagements
- March 2024
WIPR Chicago (Moderator), How Do You Make Your Organization Acutely Aware of the Value of Your Portfolio and the Importance of Protection - June 2021
A Virtual Chat with the USPTO and entigenlogic®, Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance, Webinar (Moderator) , IP Policy and Innovator Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence - March 2021
Nixon Peabody’s 2021 Virtual CLE Week (Speaker), A View into the Intellectual Property Crystal Ball Under the New Biden Administration - June 2020
Chicago Connectory (by Bosch and 1871) (Speaker), Intellectual Property Strategies to Improve Your Company’s Competitiveness - March 2020
German American Chamber of Commerce, Business Luncheon, Schaumburg, Illinois (Speaker), Intellectual Property in SMEs – How IP Strategies Can Improve Your Competitiveness - June 2017
Nixon Peabody’s Modern IP Lawyer: A Boot Camp for Success Seminar, Chicago (Moderator), Wired Attire, The IP and Business of Wearable Tech - June 2016
Nixon Peabody IP Corporate Seminar, Chicago (Speaker), Post-Grant Challenges Recent Decisions and the (Slow) Growth of PGR Proceedings - June 2015
Nixon Peabody IP Corporate Seminar, Chicago, (Speaker), Update on Inter Partes and Post-Grant Reviews
Additional information
Admissions:
- Supreme Court of Illinois (2003)
- Registered U.S. Patent Attorney (2003)
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2003)
- U.S. Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit (2005)
- Professional Engineer 1997 (currently inactive)
Specialisms
Digital
- AI
- Applied physics
- Automotive electronics
- Computer hardware
- Consumer electronics
- Electromechanical systems
- Fintech
- Gaming and graphics
- Medical imaging
- Photonics and optics
- Software
- Telecommunications
Dynamics
- Electromechanical systems
- Fluid mechanics
- Materials engineering
- Mechanics
Elements
- Electrochemistry
Energy
- Cells
- Geothermal
- Hydro
- Packs
- Wind
HealthTech
- Digital health
- Medical devices
- Medical imaging
- Quantum health
- Surgical tools and implants