John L. Abramic

John Abramic is chair of Steptoe's Intellectual Property group and the former managing partner of the Chicago office. A veteran advocate in complex intellectual property disputes, he has served as lead counsel in cases across the United States, including arbitrations, federal district courts, and the International Trade Commission. John has represented clients in dozens of post-grant review proceedings and frequently appears before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has successfully argued before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and handled numerous appeals of patent suits and IPRs.

John's practice spans the full spectrum of intellectual property litigation — including patents, trade secrets, copyright, and related IP rights — across industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, semiconductors, telecommunications, machinery, and computer software. His courtroom victories include a $170 million jury verdict — one of the largest patent damages awards in the District of Delaware — in a web development technology case; multimillion-dollar jury verdicts involving software and automotive technologies; a finding of infringement and attorney fees at a bench trial involving medical device packaging; and an exclusion order at the ITC in a drone technology matter. His defense successes include invalidating all asserted claims in a medical device jury trial; defeating multi-patent infringement claims alleging more than $4 billion in accused sales in the telecommunications sector; protecting pharmaceutical patent portfolios from serial PTAB challenges; and defeating billion-dollar claims in drug-eluting stent litigation.

John's courtroom skill extends beyond traditional IP disputes. He successfully represented an administrative patent judge in litigation arising from whistleblower retaliation claims tied to procedural issues at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, securing full reinstatement, substantial damages, and national press coverage.

In addition to litigation, John counsels clients on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including trade secret protection protocols, IP due diligence and licensing, freedom-to-operate assessments, portfolio management strategies, and audits designed to safeguard proprietary technology and know-how. He works closely with clients to develop practical, proactive measures that minimize risk and preserve competitive advantage.

Clients and peers commend "his confidence and reliability during trial, his skill as a litigator, as well as his leadership qualities and innovative thinking." IAM describes him as "a distinguished litigator revered for his adept management of intricate patent disputes" with "a proven track record of successes," while Chambers calls him "an extremely talented and experienced lawyer, a great strategist and a pleasure to work with." John has been named among the leading IP trial attorneys by Chambers, IAM Patent 1000, and The National Law Journal.

A founding sponsor in Steptoe's Talent Sponsorship Program, John fosters relationships in which partners provide experience, exposure, and guidance to diverse associates. He is also a recipient of the Northern District of Illinois Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Service and the Illinois Institute of Technology John J. Schommer Honor I Award.