Ryan J. Schermerhorn, Partner

Ryan has drafted and prosecuted both U.S. and foreign patent applications for diverse technologies, prepared non-infringement and “freedom to operate” opinions, and advised clients on optimal patent filing strategies. He has experience drafting and prosecuting applications directed to diverse technologies including:

• Product packaging machines and processes
• Cleantech and renewable systems, devices, and processes
  • Energy generation, storage, and distribution (e.g., electric chargers)
  • Carbon reuse (e.g., injecting carbon into cementitious materials)
  • Hydrogen technologies
  • Alternative energy sources
• Medical devices, such as catheters, ostomy products, drug delivery instruments, and dental instruments
• Process control valves, regulators, actuators, noise attenuation equipment, proximity switches, and related equipment and systems
• Construction equipment, heavy machinery, paving machines and asphalt manufacturing
• Manufacturing processes and manufacturing equipment technology
  • Additive manufacturing processes, additive manufacturing machines (e.g., 3D printers)
  • Injection molding processes and injection molding machines
• Spacecraft orientation and navigation control systems
• Variety of consumer products and goods, such as cookware, coffee makers, shelving and storage systems, child care products, beverage containers, phone grips, phone cases, and wallets
• Gravity-feed shelving
• Beverage production and bottling equipment and systems
• Lighting devices for commercial and industrial purposes
• Digital image processing
• Mobile applications (e.g., mapping software applications for mobile devices)
• Gene sequencing and array technologies
• Automotive equipment and systems (e.g., brakes, wheels, engines)
• Industrial equipment and tools (e.g., heat exchangers, building construction tools, HVAC equipment)
• Microfluidics

Ryan joined Marshall Gerstein in 2013 and became partner in 2018. At Marshall Gerstein, Ryan is a member of the firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Finance Committee, and Marketing & Business Development Committee, and previously served as the chair of the Recruiting Committee.

Ryan is experienced in preparing and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications in mechanical, electrical, medical, e-commerce, and business method arts. He has counseled clients on patentability, freedom to operate and patent invalidity and has reviewed and interpreted licensing and joint research agreements.

Prior to joining Marshall Gerstein, he worked as an intellectual property attorney for clients in a variety of industries, including mobile applications and operating systems, navigational routing algorithms and applications, medical imaging devices, critical care products, child safety products, and other consumer products.

Ryan received his J.D., cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law, where he also received a Certificate in Patent Law. While in law school, he was a member and editor of the DePaul Journal of Art, Technology, & Intellectual Property, was president of the DePaul chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, and received the Allen J. Hoover Memorial Award and Patent Resources Group’s Future Leaders Scholarship. Additionally, he holds a B.S. in general engineering, with honors, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• DePaul University College of Law (J.D.)
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.S.)
  • General Engineering

• Illinois
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

• "The Overlooked Clean Tech Hero: Additive Manufacturing’s Green Potential," Manufacturing.net, May 2, 2025.

• "How Law Firms Create Climate for Cleantech IP Business," Managing IP, April 17, 2025.

• "Reshaping Manufacturing for a Sustainable Future," Industry Today, March 14, 2025.

• “How to Protect Your Climate IP with Ryan Schermerhorn,” Impact at Scale, January 23, 2025.

• "Innovating for Sustainability: Intellectual Property & Climate Change," Dirty Scrap, November 4, 2024.

See Ryan's additional thought leadership. 

• Vice-President & Board Member, Alumni Advisory Board for Department of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, October 2016–Present
• Mentor, Legal Council on Legal Diversity Mentorship Program, 2022-Present
• Member and former Executive Board member, Richard Linn Inn of Court, September 2009 - Present
• Board Member, Public Narrative, June 2020 – June 2021
• Member, IPLAC
• Vice-Chair, IPLAC Young Members Committee, May 2016–May 2018
• Executive Board Member, Chicago Alumni Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, January 2014–December 2017
• Member, ABA Committee charged with drafting problem for Giles Rich Moot Court Competition, Fall 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
• Mentor, Chicago Intellectual Property Alliance (CIPA) Mentorship Program, 2014
• Editor, Business Casual (Published by the American Intellectual Property Law Association), Summer 2012–2013