Biography
Ferlillia V. Roberson is a Chambers-ranked trial attorney with nearly 20 years of experience in patent, trade secrets, and technology litigation, particularly complex patent and trade secrets cases.
She represents Fortune 500 companies, innovative startups, and global manufacturers. Ferlillia has comprehensive experience fusing law, technology, and business in complex transactions, intellectual property, and commercial disputes, including U.S. and international experience. Ferlillia has substantial experience navigating patent and trade secret disputes across industries, including in the technology, transportation, life sciences, healthcare, and chemical sectors. Ferlillia’s extensive trial and courtroom experience includes representing clients in patent and trade secrets jury trials, ITC hearings, inter partes review proceedings, and appeals.
Ferlillia deeply understands and strategically litigates disputes involving highly complex technologies, including electronic devices, semiconductors, automotives, chemical processes, medical devices, industrial machinery, and software systems involving mobile devices, data management systems, computer and software programs, automotive components, rail cars, GPS navigation systems, heat exchangers, welding equipment, biochemicals, waste systems, nutrigenomics, and pharmaceuticals, among others.
Ferlillia regularly gives lectures offering CLE credit on intellectual property, patent, and trade secret issues and frequently speaks in the United States on a variety of topics relating to U.S. patent ligation and the legal profession.
At Northwestern University School of Law, Ferlillia was a 2008 PILI Fellow at the Legal Aid Bureau, a 2005 American Intellectual Property Law Foundation/Sidney B. Williams Scholar, and the 2008 National Convention Coordinator for the National Black Law Students Association. Ferlillia majored in Chemical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology and was a 2001 Coca-Cola Scholar and a 2001 Wade H. McCree Jr. Scholar.
Ferlillia regularly gives lectures offering CLE credit on intellectual property, patent, and trade secret issues and frequently speaks in the United States on a variety of topics relating to U.S. patent ligation and the legal profession.
Experience
Ferlillia has achieved significant courtroom successes for clients in complex intellectual property cases in a variety of Federal District Courts popular with patent plaintiffs, including the Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of California, and the District of Delaware, among others.
Ferlillia also has extensive experience in Section 337 patent investigations in the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) and has represented some of the world’s largest technology companies in complex, multi-patent ITC litigation. She is well versed in the particularities of ITC litigation from both the Complainant’s and Respondent’s perspective, including recent experience representing many of the world’s largest technology, industrial, and automotive companies in several different large-scale investigations involving several patents.
Representative Matters
- Represented leading computer and mobile device manufacturer in patent infringement action in the Western District of Texas and ITC related to video, graphics, and communication systems technology.
- Represented leading industrial manufacturer in successful global patent enforcement campaign against competitor related to industrial printing systems and technology electronic and display systems, including acting in district court and ITC patent actions.
- Represented world leading chemical manufacturer in competitor patent infringement suit involving fuel ethanol production.
- Represented world leading chemical manufacturer in competitor patent infringement suit involving manufacture and development of enzyme products.
- Represented car manufacturers and suppliers in patent infringement action related to video and display systems in vehicles.
- Represented car manufacturers and suppliers in patent infringement action related to thermoplastic motors in vehicles.
- Represented equipment suppliers and chip manufacturers in patent infringement action related to pump technology.
- Represented a leading welding and cutting equipment company in patent infringement action related to hardware and software technology for welding power supplies.
- Advised the largest manufacturer of evaporative heat rejection and thermal storage equipment in connection with evaporator and coolant production redesign following representation of client in related patent infringement case
- Advised a Midwest chemical waste company in connection with successful redesign of new production and processing systems, including conducting patent portfolio and freedom to operate analysis.
- Trial counsel for a leading mobile device communications company in a patent infringement case in the International Trade Commission relating to mobile device graphics technology.
- Represented defendant, a leading pet food manufacturer, in a patent infringement case relating to nutrigenomics in the Southern District of California. Resolved case in defendant’s favor after court granted section 101 summary judgment motion.
- Trial counsel for defendant, a leading mobile device manufacturer, in a patent infringement jury trial in the Northern District of California relating to wireless device activation and management. The district court overturned jury’s verdict in favor of our client after granting judgment as a matter of law motion
- Trial counsel for plaintiff, a leading mechanical system manufacturer, in a patent infringement case relating to heat exchangers in the District of Maryland.
News & Views
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Press Release
Blank Rome Expands National Intellectual Property Litigation Team with Partner Ferlillia V. Roberson in Chicago
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Article
Noteworthy Publications
Various Publications -
Speaking Engagement
Noteworthy Speaking Engagements
Recognitions
- 2023–2025, Intellectual Property Law, listed in Chambers USA
- 2021–2022, “Up-and-Coming,” Intellectual Property Law, listed in Chambers USA
- 2020–2021, 2025, listed in The Legal 500 United States
- 2018, “Top 40 Under 40 – Nation’s Best Advocates,” National Bar Association
- 2018, “Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers,” Crain’s Custom Media
- 2017, “Emerging Leader,” Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Affiliations
Memberships
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago
- Chicago Women in IP (ChiWIP)
- Junior League of America
- National Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- IP Law Section of the American Bar Association
- National Bar Association – IP Section, Commercial Law Section, and Executive Board Member
- Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, Former Executive Board Member
- Junior League of America
- Corporate Counsel Women of Color (“CCWC”), Member
- Women of Color in Pharma, Member
- ChIPs Women in Law and Technology, Member
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (“AIPLA”), Member
- Black Women’s Lawyer’s Association of Greater Chicago (“BWLA”), Member
- Lawyers for Better Housing Committee, Former Board Member
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (“LCLD”), Fellow (2019) and Alumni Leader
Credentials
Admissions
- Illinois
- Texas
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court - Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court - Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court - Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court - Southern District of California
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Education
- Northwestern University School of Law, JD
- Illinois Institute of Technology, BS, Chemical Engineering, with high honors
