North Central honors Priscilla Ferch ’80 Gallagher with Outstanding Alumni Award

North Central College is honoring Priscilla Gallagher of Chicago with a 2012 Outstanding Alumni Award.

Gallagher and five others will be honored during the College’s Homecoming Convocation at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville.

A lawyer with McAndrews, Held & Malloy Ltd. in Chicago, Gallagher is one of Illinois’ top lawyers, well known for her work in the area of intellectual property law. Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, she specializes in preparing patent applications involving chemicals, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and mechanical arts. She has negotiated patent licensing and technology sharing agreements in diverse fields; counseled clients on patentability, infringement and validity issues; and prepared opinions in a wide range of technologies. Gallagher manages all aspects of the trademark portfolios for several clients, including clearing trademarks, and obtaining and maintaining registrations on a worldwide basis.

As a litigator, Gallagher has been a member of several successful litigation teams and has developed a unique niche as a strategist and case management specialist. She has extensive legal writing experience at the trial, appellate and Supreme Court levels, including being a principal author of many successful summary judgment and appellate briefs. She is the former chair of the Chicago Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society and current member of the Chicago Chapter’s Advisory Board.

A 1980 graduate of North Central, she majored in chemistry and biology and went on to law school at Loyola University, graduating in 1984. She has been an active supporter of North Central, serving on the Alumni Board and speaking on intellectual property law to graduate students.

Others being honored during Homecoming Convocation are Outstanding Alumni Award recipients Maria Wynne of Chicago, Eric McLaren of Aurora, and Fred Janzen of Ames, Iowa; Wall of Witness honoree Wayne Duehn of Arlington, Texas; and Alumni Recognition Award recipient Matthew Brill of Pottstown, Penn.