Central Illinois Intellectual Property Litigation Attorney: Peoria, Springfield, Urbana, and the Quad Cities

Jonathan Phillips handles every kind of intellectual property litigation in the Central District of Illinois: trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, and internet law cases, for plaintiffs and defendants. His office is in Peoria, he is admitted to the Central District, and he also litigates in the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois and in federal courts nationwide.

At a glance

  • Court: U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

  • Divisions: Peoria, Springfield, Urbana, and Rock Island

  • Office: 300 Northeast Perry Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61603, (309) 643-6518

  • Case types: Trademark, copyright, design and utility patent, trade secret, false advertising, domain name disputes, internet law, serial-plaintiff defense

  • Sides: Plaintiffs and defendants

  • Appeals: Seventh Circuit

  • Fees: Typically quoted after a consultation

What kinds of IP cases does he handle in Central Illinois?

All of them. A Central Illinois business or individual rarely has a single kind of IP problem, so the same lawyer handles the whole range:

Where does the Central District sit?

  • Peoria: the federal courthouse at 100 Northeast Monroe Street

  • Springfield: the Paul Findley Federal Building, 600 East Monroe Street

  • Urbana: the federal courthouse at 201 South Vine Street

  • Rock Island: the federal courthouse at 211 19th Street, serving the Illinois side of the Quad Cities

Which division hears a case depends on the county where the defendant lives or the events occurred. Bloomington-Normal and Decatur cases are assigned to one of these divisions by county [verify county-to-division list before publishing].

How does a case move in the Central District?

  1. Complaint and service. A defendant ordinarily has 21 days after service to answer or file a Rule 12 motion (Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)).

  2. Early motions. Venue, personal jurisdiction, and failure-to-state-a-claim motions are common, particularly against out-of-state plaintiffs.

  3. Local Rules and standing orders. The Central District's Local Rules and each judge's standing orders control page limits, briefing, and status practice [verify against current rules].

  4. Discovery and settlement. Cases typically settle after the key motions or the exchange of core documents; trials are uncommon.

  5. Appeals. Appeals go to the Seventh Circuit, where Jonathan is admitted.

How is the Central District different from the Northern District?

The Northern District carries the largest IP docket in the state, including most Schedule A and BitTorrent filings, and Central Illinois businesses are sometimes sued there over the same demand letters. Jonathan litigates in both districts, so a dispute can follow the venue. See Northern District of Illinois litigation. Jonathan is one of the only, if not the only, downstate attorneys who focuses their practice on intellectual property matters.

Central District of Illinois (Peoria, Springfield, Urbana, Rock Island): intellectual property cases filed in 2026

Plaintiffs filed 8 federal intellectual property cases in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois between January 2 and October 1, 2026. Jonathan Phillips is counsel in one of them. Counts below are as of October 2026.

  • Total: 8 federal IP cases filed in the Central District of Illinois

  • Trademark cases: 3

  • Patent cases: 2

  • Trade secret cases (Defend Trade Secrets Act): 2

  • Copyright cases: 1

  • No Strike 3 Holdings or Schedule A cases were filed in the district in 202

  • Jonathan Phillips, of Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP in Peoria, handles a significant chunk of these cases.

  • He is admitted to practice in the Central District of Illinois and in the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois

What to do if you receive an IP demand or complaint

  1. Keep everything: the letter, the complaint, emails, and the records of the sales, posts, or files involved.

  2. Do not delete listings, files, or accounts.

  3. Do not contact the sender or the sender's lawyer first.

  4. Write down any deadline stated in the letter or on the summons.

  5. Talk to counsel before the deadline.

Results

  • Unmasking of owners of business using deepfakes of local medical professional to sell unauthorized supplements and securing advantageous setlement terms.

  • Successful defense of trademark claims brought against corner stores selling allegedly counterfeit paraphenlia.

  • Defense and settlement of copyright claims brought against local bars and even other law firms.

  • Successful defense of trademark claims brought by nations largest insurance conglomerate against local chain of dental offices by putting plaintiff’s trademark portfolio put at risk to secure settlement on advantageous terms.

  • Numerous cases for copyright and trademark infringement asserted and defended including those that essentially ended BitTorrent practice in downstate Illinois

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Is Jonathan Phillips admitted in the Central District of Illinois? Yes. He is admitted in the Central District, and his offices are in Peoria and Springfield (1 day per week)

Does he handle only trademark and copyright? No. He handles trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, and internet law cases, for plaintiffs and defendants.

Can he handle a case that is filed in Chicago or in another state? Yes. He is admitted in the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois and in federal courts in several other states.

What does it cost? Flat fees and payment plans are available for most serial-plaintiff defense matters; other matters are quoted after a consultation.

Recent writing

Jonathan L.A. Phillips, Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP. Part of the IP litigation hub and the nationwide litigation page. Last reviewed October 2026. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.