Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Languages
References
Timeline
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Kathleen Churay

Chicago

Summary

Dynamic legal professional with extensive experience at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, excelling in intellectual property management and litigation support. Recognized for exceptional client service and adept at document management systems. Proven ability to foster relationships and streamline processes, ensuring timely and accurate handling of complex legal matters.

Overview

29
29
years of professional experience

Work History

Legal Secretary to three IP practitioners

McDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
Chicago
09.2016 - 03.2025
  • Intellectual Property – Patents and Trademarks
  • Prepared patent forms and documents for filing by practitioners.
  • Drafted attorney correspondence to clients regarding patent and trademark prosecution matters.
  • Performed post-filing downloads, added documents to in-house filing system, and communicated with docketing department to ensure accurate docketing of upcoming deadlines.
  • Assisted practitioners in tracking progress of patent and trademark applications with Anaqua docketing software.
  • (retired)

Legal Secretary to two attorneys and three paralegals

NIXON PEABODY LLP (formerly Ungaretti & Harris LLP)
Chicago
03.2012 - 08.2015
  • Intellectual Property - Trademarks
  • Played key role in retention of major manufacturing client with 500+ trademark portfolio after departure of originating attorney and firm merger.
  • Assisted attorneys and paralegal in tracking progress of trademark applications with docket software. Created new trademark records in system as needed.
  • Drafted attorney and paralegal correspondence to clients regarding trademark certifications and renewals.
  • Acted as liaison to 50+ foreign counsel regarding invoices.

Legal Secretary to four partners in Business group

MCDONALD HOPKINS LLC
Chicago
08.2008 - 03.2012
  • Commercial Lending | Commercial Real Estate | Healthcare | Construction | Minority and Women-owned Business Certifications
  • Successfully integrated highly active fourth attorney into original three-attorney assignment, managing complex calendaring, travel arrangements and new client processing activities.
  • Commended by attorney, clients and visiting professional association attorneys for excellence in client service and assistance with client recruitment.

Legal secretary to various partners and associates in multiple practice areas

SCHWARTZ COOPER CHARTERED
Chicago
10.2000 - 07.2008
  • Commercial Lending | Commercial Real Estate | Trademark Litigation | General Litigation | Estate Planning | Employment | International Asset Recovery Litigation
  • Key legal assistant employee upon by firm management to adapt to various personalities and work styles.
  • Promoted by IT manager as beta tester of new software and as key resource to other staff during several major software conversions in an 8-year period. Recognized for ability to absorb, integrate and teach new software.
  • Identified by IT manager as lead secretary on litigation support database for large document discovery project.
  • Created and edited attorney guide to using office resources when secretarial staff was not available

Coordinator of Finance and Administration

NORTHWESTERN DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
Chicago
03.1996 - 10.2000
  • Company Overview: (Northwestern University Medical School)
  • Assisted with preparation of annual department budgets.
  • Researched, recommended and ordered departmental computer equipment and peripherals.
  • Designed and implemented three-year rolling computer replacement program to keep department current with prevailing standards.
  • Managed hospital, university, DEA and State of Illinois credentialing process for new faculty and for visiting international neurosurgery scholars from Japan, Korea and other countries.
  • (Aug. 1999 – Oct. 2000)

Administrative Assistant to Department Chair

NORTHWESTERN MEDICAL FACULTY FOUNDATION
Chicago
03.1996 - 08.1999
  • Managed calendar, travel arrangements, publishing activities, speaking engagements and professional association duties for department chair.
  • Transcribed clinical notes regarding patients with complex vascular malformations of the brain, cognitive impairments after surgery, and other neurosurgical conditions.
  • Promoted to Coordinator of Finance and Administration after two years.

Education

Master of Fine Arts -

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
Chicago, IL
01.2011

Bachelor of Business Administration -

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Kalamazoo, MI
01.1981

Skills

  • Intellectual property management
  • Litigation support tools
  • Specialized vocabulary expertise
  • Document management systems
  • Time entry software proficiency

Accomplishments

  • Recipient of John and Betty Shiflett competitive graduate scholarship in creative writing

Languages

Spanish
Elementary

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Legal Secretary to three IP practitioners

McDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
09.2016 - 03.2025

Legal Secretary to two attorneys and three paralegals

NIXON PEABODY LLP (formerly Ungaretti & Harris LLP)
03.2012 - 08.2015

Legal Secretary to four partners in Business group

MCDONALD HOPKINS LLC
08.2008 - 03.2012

Legal secretary to various partners and associates in multiple practice areas

SCHWARTZ COOPER CHARTERED
10.2000 - 07.2008

Coordinator of Finance and Administration

NORTHWESTERN DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
03.1996 - 10.2000

Administrative Assistant to Department Chair

NORTHWESTERN MEDICAL FACULTY FOUNDATION
03.1996 - 08.1999

Master of Fine Arts -

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO

Bachelor of Business Administration -

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

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