Zareefa Burki Flener, M.S. with Distinction & J.D.
(Managing & Founding Partner)
- Recommended for Prosecution (USA & Illinois) (IAM Patent 1000)
- Top 250 Women in IP (Managing Intellectual Property)
- IP Star 2014-2018 (USA and Illinois) (Managing Intellectual Property)
- Top Rated Intellectual Property Attorney in Chicago, IL (Super Lawyer for Illinois in 2021)
Zareefa is the managing partner at Flener IP & Business Law, a Women-Owned business, and has extensive experience managing international and domestic patent and trademark portfolios in a wide range of areas. She has also been highly successful in obtaining company goals in M&A deals including preparing, revising and negotiating intellectual property related agreements. Zareefa regularly provides thorough and effective assistance to companies in their due diligence efforts.
She has a Bachelor of Science in biology and a double major in Psychology, and she received her Master of Science degree from Loyola University of Chicago, With Distinction, an accolade which had never before been awarded to a graduate student.
She is well regarded by her clients and her peers, worldwide, for her attention to, and assistance with, international patent portfolios ranging from the electrical, to the mechanical, to the pharma, to the biotech, to the design arts, just to mention a few. She has most recently been recognized in Managing Intellectual Property magazine as an IP Star in Illinois and in the United States as a whole, and one of the Top 250 Women in IP.
She was in the laboratory doing hands on research also for almost ten years before becoming a patent (intellectual property) attorney. Her research and scientific experience is in two particularly explosive areas: HIV transmission and pathology, and mapping of the human genome. Her masters project, from Loyola University of Chicago, involved mapping of the distal short arm of human chromosome 21, from the rDNA to the telomere, and she graduated with High Distinction. She is well published in the field of HIV pathology in such journals as the American Journal of Pathology, Clinical Immunology, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Prior to founding Flener IP & Business Law, Zareefa practiced at a prestigious international intellectual property firm for almost ten years. She was voted in as the first female partner in one of the offices. Her dedication and responsiveness to her clients sets her apart from others and just one of the reasons for her honorable recognition and accolades from the international community.
Zareefa continues to work with a broad range of technology not the least of which is stem cells, virology, immunology, biochemical processes, cell culture, and laboratory instrument related inventions, among others. Zareefa also prepares and prosecutes applications in technology areas of design, mechanical, biochemistry, business methods, electrical and medical devices. Zareefa has had the fortune of being involved in the fast growing and changing cannabis industry, both on the patent and the trademark side, and has assisted clients in achieving prominence and value in an increasingly crowded field. See more at http://www.flipcannabislaw.com.
Zareefa’s clients have ranged from multinational companies to solo inventors, and she is well known to apply the same high level of care and dedication to each one.
Yongae (“Vicky”) Jun, B.S. & J.D. U.S. PTO registered
Vicky is an Intellectual Property (IP) attorney at Flener IP & Business Law that specializes in patent and trademark law and advises clients in all areas of IP law. Vicky has over a decade of experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications domestically and internationally, in a wide array of technologies, from wireless communications, cellular network standardization, 3GPP, LTE/NR, 5G/6G technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented reality devices to mechanical, electrical and medical devices. Vicky enjoys getting to know clients’ business goals in order to help steer portfolios into market dominance.
Before becoming a U.S. PTO registered patent attorney, Vicky worked several years as a software engineer for one of the largest defense contractors in the world. Vicky’s professional experience further includes 8 years of military duty, including combat duty and honorable discharge as a Sergeant.
During her esteemed educational career, Vicky graduated cum laude, won a multitude of awards for legal writing and trademark prosecution, and was editor of law review, an intellectual property fellow and selected for publication in an IP Law Journal. She was also highly active in her local chapter of the Asian Pacific Bar Association (APABA) as treasurer for several years.
Vicky is experienced in working with both small entities and publicly traded corporations. She has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications; has prepared appeal briefs, claim construction, litigation support, infringement opinions, trademark opinions and office actions, and software agreements. In her free time, Vicky enjoys cooking and watching movies.
Jessie Yang, Ph.D. J.D., U.S. PTO registered
Jessie Yang, Ph.D. (Molecular Biology), J.D., U.S. PTO registered patent agent, has experience in patent prosecution, patent searches, and patent analytics in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. Her scientific experiences in academia, biotech startups and other companies and as an inventor herself, gives her an insight which is invaluable to Flener IP & Law clients.
As a veteran scientist, Jessie has extensive knowledge and expertise in biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology, biocompatibility, analytical chemistry, formulation, product development, and polymer-based medical devices. During her scientific career, she has received highly competitive funding, published dozens of peer-reviewed papers, obtained patents, presented at national and international conferences, and served as a peer reviewer for prestigious scientific journals. Furthermore, Jessie has worked in multidisciplinary teams and supported regulatory submission efforts.
Jessie brought her scientific training and skillsets to her legal career. After her Ph.D., post-doctoral studies, and full professorship (in China), Jessie further developed her advocacy skills, uniquely received CALI awards for highest grade in eight courses, and impressively graduated magna cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2023. Jessie was a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Edmond E. Chang at the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Last but not least, Jessie wrote several appellate briefs for moot court competitions and published an article titled “Enablement for Genus Claims: A Bifurcated Approach” in Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property.
Firm clients know they are in good hands with Jessie at the helm of their intellectual property matters. Jessie’s experience spans all things patent including patent preparation, drafting, counseling, prosecution, patentability and freedom to operate analysis, and landscape searches.
Colleen Ferguson J.D., Attorney at Law
Having graduated from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2016, Colleen Ferguson focuses on intellectual property law. In particular, she developed an avid interest in the fields of trademarks and copyrights. Since graduation, Colleen has advised clients—ranging from individuals, startup companies and to multinational corporations—in protecting and enforcing their trademark rights on trademark stylization and design. She also has helped companies develop strategies to overcome possible problematic trademark applications or registrations, and in registering trademarks on a global scale. As an experienced trademark and copyright attorney, Colleen has represented start-up companies to multinational companies in the fields of restaurant services, cosmetics, perfumery, fashion, and outdoor sports.
While earning her JD from the John Marshall Law School, Colleen further developed her interest in intellectual property law by participating and becoming a Council Member of the Giles Rich Moot Court Competition. Additionally, during this time, Colleen was a judicial intern for the Hon. Pamela McLean Meyerson of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
In addition to her law degree, Colleen holds a BS in Biology from Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana. Her senior comprehensive project, which measured the antibiotic effects of Morinda Citrifolia (or Noni Juice) on common bacteria, provided her with laboratory experience. Her time spent in the lab inspired Colleen to attend law school as she realized she wanted to assist others in protecting their inventions and creations. Her career has been devoted to assisting creators and innovators in developing and protecting their signature word, slogan, logo, or even color trademarks. These marks ultimately represent the clients' goods and services they put so much time and effort into.
When not in the office, Colleen enjoys training for half-marathons and spending time with the friends she made at Saint Mary’s College.
James Judge, J.D., Attorney at Law
James Judge, JD BFA, Attorney at Law, has almost three decades of experience providing clients with creative solutions to difficult problems in all avenues of commerce including legal clients, construction companies, and performing arts organizations. He has worked with client’s nationwide since 1980. Skilled in business and corporate transactions, the majority of James’ practice is concentrated in business formation, securities, and business combinations. James also provides pro bono counsel to commercial and entertainment CEOs about company formation, selling stock, including legal ramifications and possible outcomes/strategies, and thereafter, creating the private offering or IPO to propel the vision of the company.
In his free time, James is an avid and competitive sailor. He is often heard to say that “At sea, my team and I live in constant peril”. In the business world that translates into effective counsel in perilous situations for achieving business goals from corporate strategy, to forming companies, to supervising offerings of securities, both privately and publicly. James guides corporate clients through the murkey waters of raising capital, coordinating with tax and intellectual property professionals to ensure a uniform and consistent approach to market dominance.
Ying Chen, J.D. L.L.M., Attorney at Law
Ying Chen is an attorney at Flener IP & Business Law, with a focus on intellectual property protection and anti-counterfeiting litigation. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and New York. She joined the team as a law clerk in 2021 and has been with the firm ever since.
She earned her J.D. and L.L.M. with a specialization in intellectual property law from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was a member of the Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA). She also contributed her expertise as a member of the Editorial Board for the book Texts and Cases in Responsible Conducts of Scientific Research, Wang, R., & Zhang, W. (Eds.) in 2021.
Before moving to the United States, Ying earned an L.L.B. in Intellectual Property and a B.Eng. in Computer Science from Xiangtan University in China. She was the vice president of the law school’s Debate Team and a member of the Legal Aid Centre. Additionally, she gained valuable experience when she participated in drafting the published report Analysis of Overseas Patent Application of Guangdong Province. She also successfully passed the Chinese Bar Exam after graduation.
In her free time, Ying is passionate about exploring new cuisines and enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and watching horror movies.
