Kara E.F. Cenar
GREENSFELDER, HEMKER & GALE, P.C.
OFFICER

Kara E.F. Cenar is an officer in the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. in Chicago. She takes lead trial and litigation roles in important and complex intellectual property matters for domestic and international companies of all sizes, as well as individuals. She handles the enforcement of IP rights and the defense of alleged violations of the IP rights of others. She is team leader for the firm’s IP litigation practice.

Kara combines decades of counseling, trial and litigation experience with practical business applications to assist clients in matters involving technology, patents, design patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trade dress and trademarks. Her experience as a trial lawyer includes jury and bench trials, preliminary injunction hearings, hearings on emergency temporary restraining orders, seizure and impoundment orders and Section 337 claims before the International Trade Commission.

In 2019, Kara successfully led a multimillion-dollar copyright infringement jury trial to verdict and obtained a $20.7 million judgment involving some of the gaming industry’s top casino slot games (artwork and graphics for video reel casino slot machine games), including social, mobile, online and CD/DVD casino game distribution. Kara also has successfully defended other high-profile multimillion-dollar copyright matters involving prominent hit musical works and digital music, leading to defense summary judgments. Kara’s copyright infringement work further includes literary works, sculptural arts for well-known plush toys, software, CAD and digital technical and engineering drawings, and casino slot games.

Kara also has been involved in complex trade secret cases related to technology in numerous industries, as well as design patent infringement litigation and ITC proceedings concerning the automotive after-market parts, consumer products and power tool industries. She has vast experience in the enforcement and defense of trademarks and trade dress that includes representation of famous and distinguished brands.

Her practice also involves counseling and assisting individuals and businesses with intellectual property rights, business issues, and litigation including international businesses in this industry seeking to do business in the United States.

Kara is a founding member of the Intellectual Property Institute and Chicago Women in Intellectual Property. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, she is recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers in Intellectual Property Litigation and by Illinois Leading Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America and was named to the Crain’s Notable Women in Law list for 2020.