Valerie G. Matthews

Valerie G. Matthews

Associate
Valerie Matthews places a high value on building strong client relationships by working to understand their business goals. As an intellectual property attorney, she understands brand value, and helps clients protect their brands, images, and trademarks to help them succeed in their industries and in the marketplace.

Valerie assists intellectual property clients with trademark prosecution and clearance, including investigating search results, preparing risk analysis for new trademarks, investigating fraudulent and infringing domain names, and developing cybersquatter-prevention strategies.

Before joining Barnes & Thornburg full-time, Valerie was a summer associate and supported a six-person trial team on a six-day federal jury trial on the issue of false advertising under the Lanham Act. Specifically, she performed legal research; drafted formal and informal memoranda; reviewed and finalized deposition designations; organized exhibits and objections; and prepared witnesses.

Valerie was previously a law clerk with Krohn & Moss, a local Chicago firm. There, she drafted legal motions and trial briefs pertaining to breach of warranty claims, and she prepared and filed documents including complaints, pretrial material, and discovery requests and responses.

Prior to attending law school, Valerie had a career in public relations with Motion PR in Chicago. Primarily, she developed and executed comprehensive strategic communication plans for consumer, corporate, and lifestyle brands through advertising, media relations, thought leadership, and promotional events.

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As a summer associate at Barnes & Thornburg, I was able to build connections with associates, partners, and clients that I can continue to rely on today. The assignments that I had as a summer associate accurately reflect the work I do and have done since my first day returning to the firm. Beyond that, the firm provides unique opportunities for summer associates to experience real-world training. For example, during my summer, I traveled to Houston with a trial team to assist on a six-day federal jury trial. Now, as an associate, I will be joining that same team to argue the case on appeal in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Overall, the summer program and the mentors I met during those months have guided my transition out of law school into the start of my career.
Credentials

Education

  • DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 2019, magna cum laude, associate editor of DePaul Law Review, Dean’s List, Dean’s Achievement Scholarship
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A., journalism and strategic communication, 2014, Alpha Chi Omega

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
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