Constantine John (“Chris”) Gekas concentrates his practice on the preparation and trial of cases in a wide variety of substantive areas. Among Chris’ greatest strengths is his ability to break down complicated legal issues and relay them to judges and juries in a sensible, straightforward manner.
A veteran trial lawyer, Chris has tried over 60 jury trials to verdict and he has handled countless other contested non-jury evidentiary hearings and trials before federal, state, administrative, arbitration and mediation tribunals.
Chris’ experience includes all manner of commercial disputes including those involving securities, commodities and derivative investments, insider trading, academic research misconduct, construction, patents, trade secrets, computer fraud and abuse, among many others.
In addition, his training and experience as a civil and criminal prosecutor as well as his military training and experience provide a special sophistication in his investigation of the complex facts that almost always underlie the cases he handles.
In addition to his litigation practice, Chris regularly advises clients on a variety of transactional matters, including business, real estate and other types of contract negotiations and pre-and post employment negotiations for employers and high level executives and employees.
Chris is also an experienced appellate advocate, having briefed and argued over 50 appeals in federal and state appellate courts across the country. Among his notable victories is Walters v. Metropolitan Ed. Enterprises, Inc., 519 US 202 (1997) in which the United States Supreme Court determined the jurisdictional reach of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also authored an authoritative amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court cited with approval in the Dissent of Justice Breyer outlining a novel theory of patent ownership in Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior Univ. v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., 131 S.Ct. 2188, 2204 (2011).
More recently he prevailed in the landmark inventorship decision of the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Shukh v. Seagate Technology, LLC, 803 F. 3d 659 (2015) that established an important new basis for inventors’ standing to seek correction of inventorship under the Patent Act.
Public Service. Chris gained a breadth of experience working in the public sector.
He served as an attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia.
He also served four years as Regional Counsel for the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission Division of Enforcement where he was responsible for enforcement actions involving commodities and related investments throughout the central United States. During his tenure as Regional Counsel at the CFTC, he filed the case that led to the landmark Supreme Court decision on attorney-client privilege in Commodity Futures Trading Comm'n v. Weintraub, 471 U.S. 343 (1985).
Congressional Experience. From 1974 to 1976, Chris served as counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Representatives including as Counsel to the 1974 Impeachment Inquiry of President Richard M. Nixon.
As Associate Counsel to the Subcommittee on Crime where he was instrumental in the passage of important legislation including the Speedy Trial Acti of 1974.
Chris is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system, the highest rating available.
Representative Experience
Representation of inventor in inventorship case in federal district court resulting in landmark inventorshp decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Representation of hedge fund administrator in theft of trade secrets and computer fraud and abuse in federal district court.
Representation of internationally renown scientist falsely accused of research misconduct in university disciplinary proceedings and in defamation and indemnification cases in Illinois Circuit Court resulting in landmark appellate decision of Illinois Appellate Court establishing qualified privilege for defamation claims in academic research misconduct proceedings.
Trial counsel for shopping center developer in breach of contract dispute in the Circuit Court of McHenry County, Illinois resulting in jury verdict for client.
Trial counsel in two-week trial in the Circuit Court of McHenry County, Illinois in a flooding and constitutional takings case resulting in jury verdict for client.
Representation of national agricultural products distributor in non-competition and trade secrets case in federal court.
Representation of former executive of LED manufacturer in trade secrets and non-competition dispute in federal court.
Trial counsel for commodity broker in action by CFTC on various violations of Commodity Exchange Act in federal district court.
Representation of international commodity/options brokerage house in major dispute with large international trading customer over violations of trading limits and forced liquidation in the American Arbitration Association in New York.
Representation of individual investors in insider trading investigation by the S.E.C. resulting jury verdict in investors’ favor in federal district court.
Defense of medical products manufacturer in patent infringement action in federal district court.
Trial counsel for individual plaintiff asserting Americans With Disabilities Act claim against the Chicago Board of Education in federal district court.
Representation of Vice President of Sales of hospital products manufacturer in breach of contract dispute in federal district court.
Trial counsel for ownership in construction and breach of contract dispute in large scale condominium conversion in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Representation of a developer in real estate acquisitions, development and sales for commercial and residential real estate.
Representation of manufacturer of high end hospital diagnostic scanning equipment against former officers on trade secrets and non-competition.
Representation of hospital equipment manufacturer in breach of contract arbitration against distributor.