Gerald L. Jenkins

Jerry Jenkins is a Principal in the firm's Corporate and Intellectual Property Groups, and heads the Information Technology & E-Commerce Group.

With decades of experience counseling corporate clients in intellectual property and information technology, his practice focuses on the intersection of traditional business issues and constantly changing technologies. Mr. Jenkins is regularly engaged in preparing policies and negotiating contracts and transactions between business enterprises, ensuring conformity to industry-wide guidelines and compliance with regulatory regimes imposed by various governmental entities. Key compliance areas of his focus include federal, state and international privacy and security rules. The key contractual areas he is concerned with include intellectual property licenses and assignments, confidentiality and data use agreements, business associate agreements, and software and Web site development agreements.

Mr. Jenkins has represented clients in a range of industries, including health care, website and software development, financial services, recycling and manufacturing. 

He holds the AV Preeminent® peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability. In addition, since 2004 Mr. Jenkins has been recognized annually as a Leading Lawyer in Computer & Technology Law by Illinois Leading Lawyers.

Notably, he is the sole inventor of three Internet-related U.S. patents (7,340,518; 7,493,270; and 8,015,286).

Publications and Presentations
Mr. Jenkins has written articles, moderated discussions, served as a panelist, and presented lectures on a range of technology related subjects.

His presentations have included:

• Presenter, "Defend Trade Secrets Act: How Does It Affect You," a Goldberg Kohn CLE program, June 2016.
• Presenter, "The Curious and Not So Secret Case of the Non-Disclosure Agreement," CBA Commercial Finance Committee, 2014
• Presenter, "RFPs and Other Ways of Buying Goods and Services," Goldberg Kohn Commercial Contract Series, 2014
• Presenter, "Acquiring, Transferring and Promising Technology," Goldberg Kohn Commercial Contract Series, 2014
• Moderator on topics ranging from green marketing to social entrepreneurship at Northwestern Law's annual Small Business Opportunity Center conference (2009-2013).  
• Presenter, TechExpo, Chicago Department of Business Affairs, Chicago, 2010, 2009
• Presenter, "Doing Business in Illinois," Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, 2009
• Presenter, "Green Marketing—The Science, the Facts and the Fiction,” Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago, 2008
• Professor, “Electronic Commerce Law: A Contractual Perspective,” Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, 2002-2005
• Presenter, “Telecom Contracts: Assuring Service, Addressing Bankruptcy and Maintaining Flexibility,” Small Law Department Division of the American Corporate Counsel Association seminar, 2002
• Professor, “Transnational Data Flows,” Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, 2000-2002
• Presenter, “Contracting in Cyberspace,” American Corporate Counsel Association Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., 2002
• Presenter, “Practical Information Security for the Medium Sized Business Enterprise,” NIST Seminar, Chicago, 2002
• Panel Moderator, “Existing and Proposed Civil Claims Under Computer Crime Laws,” National Cybercrime Conference, American Bar Association and John Marshall Law School, 2002
• Presenter, “Legal and Regulatory Implications of Security Risk Management,” Safety and Security in the Electric Power Industry Seminar, The Center for Business Intelligence, 2002
• Participant, Advisory Group to the U.S. Delegation to the UNCITRAL Draft Convention on Electronic Contracting, 2002
• Presenter, “The Privacy Landscape,” Privacy of Consumer Financial Institutions and Identity Theft Seminar, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, 2001
• Presenter, “Computer Security, Information Warfare and Economic Espionage,” Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, 2001
• Presenter, “Computer Security: Protecting Yourself in an Unruly World,” Seminar, Chicago, 2001
• Presenter, "Essentials of Computer Security Assessment," Privacy and Security of Financial Institutions Seminar, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Indianapolis and Des Moines, 2001
• Presenter, "Risk Issues Associated With Account Aggregation," Implementing Account Aggregation & Risk Management Workshop, Bankers Administration Institute, Chicago, 2001
• Presenter, "Fundamentals of Privacy and Security in a Banking Environment," Privacy and Security of Financial Institutions Seminar, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Des Moines, 2001
• Presenter, “Managing Collateral Consequences of the Privacy Rules Imposed on Financial Institutions,” Privacy Regulation Compliance for Financial Institutions Seminar, Institute for International Research, New York, 2000
• Presenter, "Raising Money for the Hi-Tech Company," Chicago Bar Association, 2000
• Panelist, "Seed Investing as Team Sport," National Association of State Venture Funds, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, 2000

His published articles include:

• Co-Author, “The Fourth Amendment Beyond Katz, Kyllo and Jones: Reinstating Justifiable Reliance as a More Secure Constitutional Standard for Privacy,” Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, 2013
• Author, “Overview of the ECPA, SCA and EEA,” National Cybercrime Conference, American Bar Association and John Marshall Law School, 2002
• Author, “A Legal Analysis of Computer Security Issues," Internet Law and E-Commerce, IICLE, 2002

Mr. Jenkins joined Goldberg Kohn in February 1983. He received his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1975, and his B.A. in Physics, with high honors, from Eastern Illinois University in 1971.