Eugene F. Zelek, Jr.

Partner

ezelek@freebornpeters.com
Chicago Office

Direct Phone: 312.360.6777 Main Phone: 312.360.6000
Direct Fax: 312.360.6571 Main Fax: 312.360.6520
Eugene F. Zelek, Jr.
  • Business Law Services
  • Litigation

Summary of Experience

Eugene F. Zelek, Jr. focuses on marketing-related law, applying extensive counseling, transactional, and litigation expertise on behalf of wide variety of leading consumer and industrial businesses and consulting firms throughout the world. His areas of emphasis include antitrust, pricing, and distribution, as well as branding, licensing, entertainment, strategic alliances, supply relationships, complex contracts, advertising, and new product development.

Mr. Zelek joined Freeborn & Peters LLP after practicing marketing law at a large international law firm and The Quaker Oats Company, then becoming a Quaker Product Manager with shared responsibility for Quaker’s Cap’n Crunch® cereal and Chewy granola bars. He is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Services and Litigation Practice Groups and chairs the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group.

Peer Ratings

In addition to having been awarded the highest rating for legal ability and ethics by Martindale, other peer reviews have named or ranked Mr. Zelek as:

  • a Super Lawyer in Antitrust, Intellectual Property, and Franchising and Dealership work
  • a Leading Lawyer in Antitrust, Advertising, Intellectual Property, and Entertainment
  • one of the Best Lawyers in America in Antitrust, Advertising, and Entertainment
  • a Leading Individual in Antitrust and Media and Entertainment (Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business)
  • recognized in Competition/Antitrust Law (PLC Cross-Border Handbook)

Recent Published Works

Since 2001, Mr. Zelek has written, co-authored or contributed to the following works, which reflect only part of the scope of his practice:

  • The Legal Framework for Pricing, in Thomas T. Nagle, John E. Hogan and Joseph Zale, The Strategies and Tactics of Pricing (5th ed. 2010); also, as Thomas T. Nagle and John E. Hogan, (4th ed. 2006) and, as Thomas T. Nagle and Reed K. Holden, (3d ed. 2002)
  • Michael V. Marn, Craig C. Zawada and Walter Baker, The Price Advantage (2d ed. 2010) (forthcoming) and, as Michael V. Marn, Eric V. Roegner and Craig C. Zawada (2004)
  • Role of Regulation in Setting Prices, in Kellogg on Marketing (Alice M. Tybout and Bobby J. Calder eds., 2d ed. 2010) (forthcoming) and (Dawn Iacobucci ed., 2001)
  • Avoiding Corrosive Price Competition, in Institute of Channel Management (Volume 3, Number 1) (2009)
  • ABA Section of Antitrust Law and Forum Committee on Franchising, Antitrust Handbook for Franchise and Distribution Practitioners (2008)
  • Reed K. Holden and Mark Burton, Pricing with Confidence: Ten Ways to Stop Leaving Money on The Table (2008)
  • Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson, Working at Cross Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully (2006)
  • ABA Section of Antitrust Law, Frequently Asked Questions (2004)
  • Establishing and Maintaining an Effective Resale Price Policy: A Colgate How-To, Antitrust 8 (Summer 2003) (co-authored with Brian R. Henry)
  • Anne T. Coughlan, Erin Anderson, Louis W. Stern and Adel i. El-Ansary, Marketing Channels (6th ed. 2001)
  • Academic Affiliation

    Mr. Zelek has been a member of the marketing faculty at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management since 1985, having taught an annual 10-week MBA course—“The Legal Aspects of Marketing Strategy”—for 11 years.  He also has served on the faculty of the Kellogg Executive Programs “Pricing Strategies and Tactics” and “Marketing Channel Strategies,” as well as that of many other domestic and international public and private conferences and workshops.

    Relevant Subject Matter Links
  •  Business Law Services
              Business Counseling
                   Antitrust and Trade Regulation
                   E-commerce and Supply Chain
                   Franchise and Dealership
                   Marketing
              Intellectual Property and Information Technology
              International
  • Litigation
              Antitrust and Trade Regulation
              Complex Disputes
              Franchise and Dealership
              Intellectual Property Litigation

Education

  • JD, cum laude: Northwestern University School of Law
    Executive Editor, Law Review
  • BS (in Journalism), with high honors: University of Illinois
  • MBA (in Marketing), with Distinction: Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
    Distinguished Scholar

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Board Roles, Memberships, Associations

  • National Advisory Board of The Pricing Institute
  • Founding Member, Institute of Channel Management
  • Professional Pricing Society (PPS)
  • International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA)
  • Promotion Marketing Association (PMA)
  • Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP)
  • Sections or Committees of the American Bar Association focusing on Antitrust, Intellectual Property, Franchising and Entertainment
  • Vice President and Assistant Counsel, City Club of Chicago (civic organization)
  • Board Member and Counsel, Pritzker Military Library

News & Events

News
08/05/10 News
Five Partners Selected as Best Lawyers in America for 2011
06/17/10 News
Chambers on Freeborn & Peters: "Big-Firm Capability with Small-Firm Responsiveness and Flexibility"
Upcoming Events
09/30/10 Workshop
Pricing Strategy Workshop: How to Design and Implement Effective Channel Pricing
10/27/10 Seminar
The Legal Aspects of Pricing, Executive Program on Pricing Strategies and Tactics
10/27/10 Conference
Eugene F. Zelek, Jr., to Speak at the Professional Pricing Society’s Fall Pricing Conference
12/09/10 Workshop
Pricing Strategy Workshop: How to Design and Implement Effective Channel Pricing
Past Events
05/18/10 Seminar
Freeborn & Peters Host Antitrust 2010: Antitrust Law in the New Decade
05/06/10 Conference
The Professional Pricing Society's 21st Annual PPS Spring Conference
04/22/10 Workshop
Discount Structure Dynamics Workshop
02/25/10 Seminar
Antitrust 2010: Antitrust Law in the New Decade
02/18/10 Workshop
Discount Structure Dynamics Workshop
12/10/09 Workshop
Discount Structure Dynamics Workshop
09/27/09 Conference
The Legal Aspects of Pricing, Executive Program on Pricing Strategy and Tactics
09/24/09 Workshop
Discount Structure Dynamics Workshop
04/30/09 Workshop
Discount Structure Dynamics Workshop
04/05/09 Conference
The Legal Aspects of Pricing, Executive Program on Pricing Strategy and Tactics

Publications

04/01/10 Counsel Connections - Spring 2010
04/30/09 Franchise Law Update
03/25/09 Franchise Law Update
03/19/09 Avoiding Corrosive Price Competition
08/01/03 Establishing and Maintaining an Effective Minimum Resale Price Policy: A Colgate How-To

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