Emily E. Niles

Emily Niles is a trial attorney who represents clients in high-stakes intellectual property and business disputes. She has litigated cases involving patent infringement, trade secrets misappropriation, business torts, individual torts, and breach of contract cases related to technology licensing, confidential and proprietary information, and non-competition and non-solicitations disputes. Ms. Niles is experienced in all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigation through fact and expert discovery, motions practice, settlement negotiations, trial, and appeal. She is also a registered patent attorney and has experience with inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Super Lawyers has recognized Ms. Niles as a Minnesota Rising Star each year since 2017. Using her significant litigation and trial experience, Ms. Niles provides clients with strategic guidance to drive business-oriented solutions and achieve client objectives.

Ms. Niles gives back to the community by providing pro bono legal representation and supporting nonprofit organizations. She has represented clients through asylum and removal proceedings in immigration court, as well as custody and parenting time disputes in family court. Ms. Niles has led successful fundraising efforts at Robins Kaplan for the Associates’ Campaign for Legal Aid over the past several years. She also serves on the Young Professionals Board for Cornerstone Advocacy Services.

Ms. Niles earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she was the Publications Editor for the St. Thomas Law Journal. During law school, she won the 2013 Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association Cup moot court competition. Ms. Niles also won both Best Appellant Brief and Best Appellee Brief in the Midwest Region during the 2014 Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition. She worked as a research assistant to Professor Neil Hamilton and The Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions. Ms. Niles also served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Patrick J. Schiltz in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Ms. Niles earned her Bachelor Degree, magna cum laude, in Neuroscience and Psychology from Regis University.

Education

• University of St. Thomas School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude (2014); University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Publications Editor, (2013-2014), Associate Editor, (2012-2013)
• Regis University, B.S., magna cum laude, Neuroscience, Psychology (2010)

Representative Matters

Willis Electric Co., Ltd., v. Polygroup Limited et al, 15-cv-3443, U.S.D.C., D. Minnesota: Trial counsel on behalf of Willis Electric in achieving a $42.4 million jury verdict in a patent litigation involving artificial Christmas trees. Our client was the inventor of an innovative technology that simplified assembly of prelit artificial Christmas trees. After an eight-day jury trial against Willis Electric’s largest competitor, we achieved a unanimous verdict in favor of Willis Electric finding the patent willfully infringed and not invalid.

CellTrust v. ionLake (D. Minn.): Trial counsel for ionLake LLC, Derrick Girard, and Wade Girard in CellTrust v. ionLake (D. Minn.), wherein the jury rejected the patent owner’s multi-million dollar claims in a competitor-v-competitor dispute through its verdict finding the asserted patents both not infringed and invalid as obvious.

Tholen v. Assist America: Trial counsel for Dr. Richard Tholen, a top Twin Cities plastic surgeon who endured an amputated leg after Assist America refused to evacuate him for proper medical care wherein a federal jury in Minnesota awarded Dr. Tholen a $27.8 million verdict, including $10 million in punitive damages.

Unifrax in E.I. du Pont De Nemours & Co. v. Unifrax I LLC: Trial counsel for defendant in Unifrax in E.I. du Pont De Nemours & Co. v. Unifrax I LLC involving a patent addressing flame barrier laminates used in commercial aircraft. Venued in the District of Delaware. At trial successfully defeated a claim for lost profit damages in a controlled two-supplier market. Responsible for case strategy in preparation for trial, motions in limine, and presentation of an expert witness at trial in defense of damages claims.

Covidien v. Esch: Trial counsel in Covidien v. Esch, a case in which a federal jury in the District of Massachusetts held the defendant, a former Covidien employee, liable for breaching his contracts with Covidien by disclosing and using confidential information to start his own company.

Megdal Associates LLC v. La-Z-Boy, Inc., (S.D. Fla. 2016): Trial counsel in Megdal Associates LLC v. La-Z-Boy, Inc, a case in which a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale awarded our client, Megdal Associates, $5.7 million for breach of a technology license agreement. The award was increased to $6 million with the award of prejudgment interest. While the case was pending on appeal, it settled with La-Z-Boy, paying Megdal Associates $13.5 million.

• Listed in Benchmark Litigation's 40 & Under Guide (2024)
• Named a "Rising Star," Law360 (2024)
• Named "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer (2023-2024)
• Named to “Notable Women in Law List,” Twin Cities Business (2023)
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2023-2025 editions)
• Named a "Minnesota Rising Star," by Super Lawyers (2017-2024)
• Named an “Up and Coming Attorney,” Minnesota Lawyer (2022)
• Named a "North Star Lawyer" by the Minnesota State Bar Association for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services (2015-2017)
• "Eugene R. Delay Excellence in Neuroscience Award," Regis University (2010)

Civic

• Cornerstone Advocacy Service Young Professionals Board 
• University of St. Thomas Intellectual Property Moot Court Team Coach (2014-2017)
• Minnesota Women Lawyers Women Law Student Association Liaison (2013-2014)
• University of St. Thomas School of Law Board Advocates Chair (2013-2014)

Professional

• Federal Bar Association, Minnesota District
• Infinity Project, Board Member

Speeches

• Minnesota’s Largest Patent Jury Verdict: The Inside Story
  Minnesota CLE 2024 Midwest IP Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota (September 27, 2024)
• Successful Models in Cost & Risk Sharing: From Boutique to Big Law
  6th Annual LF Dealmakers Forum, New York, New York (September 28, 2023)
• Verdict Alert! 8-Figure Edition
  Panelist, Minnesota Association for Justice, Webinar (February 2, 2022)
• From Contract to Courtroom: Lessons Learned In Contract Litigation and Trials
  Panelist, Robins Kaplan LLP CLE Presentation, Webinar (September 30, 2020)
• From Contract to Courtroom: Lessons Learned in Contract Litigation and Trials
  Panelist, ACC-MN, Webinar (June 18, 2020)
• Representing the Inventor in the Garage Megdal Associates LLC v La Z Boy
  University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota (November 16, 2016)

Media Mentions

• “2024 Attorneys of the Year: Willis Electric v. Polygroup,” Minnesota Lawyer (February 7, 2025)
• "Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout Outs," Law.com (January 26, 2024)
• "Mitchell Hamline Professor and Alums Honored with Attorney of the Year Awards," Mitchell Hamline School of Law (January 11, 2024)
• "Minnesota Lawyer Announces Attorneys of the Year," Minnesota Lawyer (December 21, 2023)
• "Minnesota Jury Finds CellTrust Text-Tracking Patents Are Obvious," Law360 (May 5, 2023)