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Jamal Edwards

Jamal Edwards

Title
Partner
Division
Litigation
312-638-6996
Chicago Office

332 S Michigan Ave Suite 121 # 5612 Chicago, IL 60604

Jamal Edwards

About

Jamal M. Edwards focuses his legal practice on business, real estate, and intellectual property litigation, transactions and counselling. Mr. Edwards has represented major international and Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. He also represents and advises entrepreneurs, small businesses (including MBEs and WBEs) and start-ups in a broad range of litigation and transactional matters.

Adding to his value as a trusted counsellor, Jamal has had a distinguished business career, including having held two executive positions at Equifax, Inc. and he has been a CEO of several business, including a medical center, real estate firm, and a tech start-up. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors of Atlas Technology Solutions, Inc. Jamal is also a certified CEO and Executive Coach with Vistage Worldwide Inc., and a Certified Life Coach who frequently writes and speaks about self-care, work-life balance, diversity, equity and inclusion, and mindfulness to law firms, businesses and social groups.

Prior to joining Hilgers Graben, Jamal co-founded and managed a boutique law firm, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Ft. Lauderdale, where he served as managing partner for several years and helped earn the firm recognition by U.S. News as a “Best Law Firm,” starting in 2020 and maintained that recognition throughout his exit.

Mr. Edwards has repeatedly been recognized as a Super Lawyer® since 2020, was a “Rising Star” prior to that, and has received countless other numerous national legal awards and accolades from Leading Lawyers, Lawyers of Distinction and the National Black Lawyers who, in 2016, named him to their Top 40 Under 40 and to their list of “Top 100 Lawyers,” where he remains listed today.

In 2011, Crain’s Chicago Business named Jamal to its coveted top “40 under 40” list for his business and legal leadership, and he has received several prestigious awards for his work in law, healthcare, business, real estate and public relations/crisis communications. Modern Counsel Magazine profiled him in 2018 for his lean approach to the practice of law,  and he has been profiled by the NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Detroit and other notable publications.

Prior to leaving “Big Law,” Mr. Edwards was a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and the Detroit office of Honigman LLP. He also previously served as a regional counsel to IBM Corporation.

Mr. Edwards has served on a variety of nonprofit boards, including the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (now the Legal Council for Health Justice), Vital Bridges (now part of Heartland Alliance), Common Threads, Adoption-Link NFP, Illinois Primary Healthcare Association and Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services, L3C. He remains actively engaged in civic, political and philanthropic endeavors, locally and nationally.

After graduating with distinction from the University of Michigan Law School with distinction, Jamal clerked for the Hon. Raymond A. Jackson, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and for the Hon. Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Edwards received his B.S. cum laude from Morehouse College in 1998. While he in law school, Jamal was the Executive Editor of the Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review and a Semi-Finalist in the 77th Annual Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition, in addition to winning several other prestigious moot court and mock trial competitions, locally and nationally.

He was an Olympic Torchbearer in the 1996 Centennial U.S. Games, and carried the torch through downtown Detroit, which is his hometown.

Of course, his proudest accomplishment in life is his teenage son.

Related Matters

  • Successfully represented Big 3 auto manufacturer in E.D. Mich. declaratory judgment action seeking judgment of non-infringement and/or invalidity against supplier corporations who accused GM of infringing their patent relating to spare tire locking devices. Case favorably resolved by confidential settlement, without trial.

  • Successfully prosecuted patent infringement and breach of license claims on behalf of leading archery products manufacturer against competitor and former licensee in D. Arizona.

  • Successfully prosecuted patent infringement and breach of license claims on behalf of leading archery products manufacturer against larger competitor and former licensee in E.D. Mich.

  • Successfully defended leading workforce and logistics automation company against claims brough by non-practicing entities (NPE) in E.D. Tex., including obtaining dismissal of certain claims under Alice Supreme Court precedent.

  • Successfully prosecuted breach of contract, trade secret and patent infringement claims against former owner of leading manufacturer of firepit components in D. Colo, including winning summary judgment on major claims against former owner who violated non-compete agreements.

  • Successfully defended international telecommunications company in a C.D. Cal. patent infringement action relating to fiber optic networking. Case favorably resolved by confidential settlement.

  • Successfully defended Big 3 auto manufacturer in C.D. Cal. patent inventorship, trade secret misappropriation and business tort dispute relating to hybrid motor technology; obtained a favorable confidential settlement on the eve of trial. Had primary responsibility for patent, technical and expert liability aspects of case.

  • Successfully defended leading operator of bowling centers and leading provider of bowling recreation products and services in N.D. Ohio against claims of patent infringement relating to glow-in-the-dark bowling. Case favorably resolved by confidential settlement of the parties, without trial.

  • Successfully defended medical device manufacturer in litigation and through a three-week trial in Boston federal court (D. Mass), resulting in a significant victory in an antitrust and patent case regarding automated slide staining systems for pathology slides. Prior counsel lost patent liability in an earlier trial.  In the second trial, plaintiff sought over $100 million in patent damages and $330 million (after trebling) for alleged antitrust liability.  The jury verdict awarded less than 2.5% of the total damages sought by plaintiffs, with a total defense verdict on the antitrust claims and only $10.7 million on the patent claims.

  • Successfully defended international manufacturer of large truck engines in multi-jurisdictional dispute involving patent infringement, patent ownership and inventorship, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of contract claims relating to its hydraulically-actuated, electronically-controlled fuel injection systems, magnetic latching devices, and diesel engine technology, which was finally resolved by favorable settlement after significant litigation victories. Part of the successful defense included victories on appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and defeating opponents petitions for review in the U.S. Supreme Court.  The various jurisdictions involved include: Central District of Illinois; District of South Carolina and Cook County Circuit Court.

  • Successfully defended leading manufacturer of navigation and automobile infotainment systems in patent infringement case involving navigation systems and map database technology. Achieved a ruling from U.S. Magistrate Judge recommending entry of judgment in favor of Harman that MIT’s patent is invalid and dismissing the case without trial.  Despite district judge’s refusal to fully adopt the magistrate’s decision, obtained favorable settlement and license agreement, through mediation before the magistrate judge.

  • Successfully defended telecommunications company in N.D. Ga. patent infringement case involving telecommunications products and software, including fax-store-and-forward technology, resulting in a favorable confidential settlement.

  • Successfully represented involuntary plaintiffs in N.D. Ill. fraud, breach of warranty, negligence and contract case relating to chemically-driven defects, which caused the failure of specially formulated waterborne “thermalbond” paint coatings, winning multiple summary judgment motions and, ultimately, resulting in a favorable settlement.

  • Won a TRO and preliminary injunction in Cook County (IL) Circuit Court against former officers and start-up founders for misappropriation of trade secrets, violation of fiduciary duties and usurpation of corporate opportunities, resulting in favorable monetary settlement and consent injunction.

  • Won consent injunction and contempt citations for real estate investment and operating company in partnership/shareholder dispute in Wayne County (MI) Circuit Court.

  • Achieved favorable litigation settlement in E.D. Mich. and discounted-pay-off agreement for real estate investors/owners against big 5 bank and its successor-in-interest, including >50% reduction in debt liabilities without bankruptcy.

  • Successfully settled, as court-appointed counsel, Section 1983 claim for victim of police brutality and unfair incarceration conditions against Cook County and Chicago Police officials.

  • Won unanimous, published reversal on appeal as court-appointed counsel for South Carolina prisoner in his appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, seeking review of the district court’s summary dismissal of his Section 1983 claim for failure to state a claim against the state prison system – despite hand-written pro se record below. Also received public acknowledgement from the bench for excellent oral argument. (http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/087139.P.pdf)

  • Won confidential arbitration dispute between senior executive and former medical center employer, before American Arbitration Association in Chicago.

  • Won confidential employment discrimination arbitration dispute between former CEO and state-wide healthcare association in Michigan.

  • Won confidential employment contract dispute arbitration between C-suite executive and medical center in Chicago.

  • Successfully settled commercial real estate dispute in Cook County (IL) Circuit Court between dance center and local developer, after winning several dispositive motions.

  • Successfully settled commercial real estate dispute between chiropractic clinic office tenant and major developer of Willis Tower in Cook County (IL) Circuit Court for seven-figure sum.

  • Favorably settled and resolved claims of Medicare and Medicaid billing discrepancies via conducting and self-disclosing internal investigation pursuant to HHS self-disclosure protocols.

  • Favorably settled claims brough by U.S. HHS OIG and U.S. Attorney of grant and other federal funds mismanagement, and private dispute with subcontractor University with complete avoidance of penalties and fines and substantial reduction of potential liability.

  • Favorably settled medical billing and contract disputes following successful dispositive motion practice in N.D. Il.