Azuka C. Dike

Looking for a sign of a lawyer’s talents and reputation? Look at the client list. On Azuka Dike’s roster of intellectual-property clients at Banner Witcoff, you’ll find a media giant, start-ups and an athletic-wear manufacturer.

Dike didn’t just happen upon these top clients. He’s earned their business through hard work, tireless dedication and his ability to earn to excellent results. In one significant case, Dike assisted Yeti, a manufacturer of high-end coolers and drinkware, in a lawsuit against competitor RTIC to prohibit the marketing and sale of similar products. Cooler heads prevailed: They settled for an undisclosed amount.

One Forty Under 40 nominator who has known Dike for many years said “his hard work and perfection of his craft have elevated him to this level.”

Dike represented insurance giant Allstate in a settlement against Nationwide to prohibit the creation and use of insurance products similar to Allstate’s “Vanishing Deductible.”

In January, Managing IP included Dike on its list of top-petitioning attorneys nationally before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in 2017.

One Forty Under 40 nominator wrote, “The fact Azuka filed so many petitions is evidence the clients trust in him for high-stakes bet-the-company litigation.”

While attending law school, Dike devoted time to tutoring Chicago Public Schools students through the SCORE Tutoring and Mentoring program and the Cabrini Green Youth Program, helping kids learn to read and the basics of math. He’s now involved with the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Foundation to review and screen cases for dissemination. For the past two years, he has chaired Banner & Witcoff’s Diversity Committee. In addition, Dike serves as the vice chair of the ADR Committee in the IP section of the American Bar Association. He is also a board member of Northwestern Law Fund Board and serves as mentor in the IP Law Society Mentorship program.