About Steven M.
Steven M. Evans trained first as an engineer and later as a lawyer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1986 and a Juris Doctor from Indiana University Bloomington in 1989. The two degrees give him a technical grounding and a legal education from established Midwestern universities.
After law school he entered practice in Chicago. He has been a member of the Chicago Bar Association since 1989. Over the years he expanded his professional credentials across multiple jurisdictions. He is licensed to practice in Hawaii, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, California and the District of Columbia.
Evans joined Chicago IP Law and became a shareholder in 2012. That role followed years working on matters that intersect technology and law. At Chicago IP Law he has handled patent and related intellectual property issues that draw on his engineering background. His technical training helps him interpret complex disclosures and work on patent prosecution and opinion work.
Colleagues describe him as steady and precise. He tends to take a methodical approach to cases and to client work. He reviews technical documents carefully and lays out legal positions in clear terms. He has belonged to the Chicago Bar Association continuously since the year he completed his J.D., an indication of long-standing ties to the local legal community.
His practice has covered a range of IP matters, including prosecutions, opinions and counseling on technology-related issues. Working at a firm named for its subject area, he frequently collaborates with inventors, engineers and outside counsel to translate technical concepts into patent claims and legal strategy. He also navigates multi-jurisdictional filings, drawing on admissions in multiple states and the District of Columbia.
Outside of courtrooms and drafting rooms, his background in electrical engineering shapes how he approaches client problems. It informs the questions he asks and the issues he highlights when evaluating patentability or freedom-to-operate. He remains based at Chicago IP Law and continues to practice intellectual property law focused on matters that involve technical inventions and patent work.
