John Geis is an in-house intellectual property attorney with more than 15 years of experience as a strategic legal advisor and business partner to executives and senior leaders in Fortune 500 companies with global operations. He leads cross-functional teams on an array of legal, risk, and business matters related to IP strategy, portfolio management, licensing, contracts, M&A, regulatory compliance, policy development, and litigation.As Assistant General Counsel, IP at American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (NYSE: AXL)—a global $6.1B Tier 1 automotive company that designs, engineers, and manufactures technologies to support electric, hybrid, and internal combustion vehicles—John led all aspects of IP worldwide, developing and helming strategy for AAM’s worldwide patent and trademark portfolios. He chaired the Patent Committee, advised the Technology Steering Committee, and chaired the Brand Council, partnering with Marketing to develop and implement a cost-effective trademark strategy.Named “One of the 50 Most Influential People in IP” by Managing IP in 2021, John leverages his IP law expertise to create and execute patent strategies that result in success against competitors, increase revenue, and drive business goals forward. He draws from his technical background—including a career as a Product Development Engineer and his engineering studies at the University of Michigan— to communicate with engineers and present complex technical concepts in understandable terms. John has significant international experience, frequently interacting with and supporting teams across the EU and Asia. He adapts his legal advice to cultures based on previous overseas assignments to bring out the best from global clients. He supports and leads:• Contract Negotiations, steering negotiations of contracts for Purchasing, Sales, Finance, Engineering, HR, and IT functions worldwide;• Corporate & Real Estate Transactions, leading M&A and divestiture activities related to patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets; • Compliance, ensuring operations comply with applicable laws and regulations;• Cybersecurity, advising on legal issues related to potential incidents; and• Litigation & Investigations, including management of outside counsel. Prior going in-house, John was an attorney at Am Law 50 firm Foley & Lardner, where he advised clients—including multiple Fortune 500s—on IP strategy and patent prosecution related to technologies such as faucets/valves, food products, medical devices, fuel injectors, radar system display interfaces, and cables/connectors.