Raymond Pardo Niro, Sr.

Raymond Pardo Niro, Sr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 6, 1942, to Pardo and Adeline (nee DeCesare) Niro." He died Monday, August 8, 2016 while on vacation in Italy.Ray was the founder of Niro Law and had dedicated his career to representing the individual inventor and the underdogs of American innovation. A trial lawyer renowned for his many verdicts in intellectual property cases, in 2016 Ray was named an "Intellectual Property Trailblazer" by the National Law Journal and an "Icon of IP" by Law360. The National Law Journal also named Ray one of the ten best trial lawyers in the country in 1997. In 2013, The American Lawyer named Ray one of the Top 50 Big Law Innovators of the past 50 years. Of all the accolades he received, however, Ray was most proud of the many letters from grateful clients whose lives he changed for the better.Ray"s father was a bricklayer and Ray was proud of his working-class roots as the child of Italian immigrants. That background influenced him to represent the "little guys." As Ray said, "I never forgot where I came from."Ray graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, with high honors, in Chemical Engineering in 1964. He received his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School in 1969, where he graduated with honors and was a member of the Law Review. He funded an amphitheater in his name at the George Washington University Law School in 2008 and, in 2010, created the Niro Lecture Hall at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. He also endowed the Raymond P. Niro Professorship at DePaul University College of Law in 1999.Ray founded Niro Law in 1976. Ray"s seven partners and other colleagues at the Chicago firm are proud to honor and continue his legacy. "American inventors have lost their greatest champion," said Dean Niro, Ray"s son and Niro Law partner.Ray is survived by his sons, Dean (Pamela) Niro, Raymond (Amanda) Niro Jr., Brian Niro and Sean Niro; his grandchildren Lindsey, Danielle, Nicolas, Stephanie, Marcus, Peter, Zachary, Nicole, Ann Marie, Raymond III, Gianluca, Alessandro, ; his former spouse Judy; his sister, Mary Lou (Wayne) DiBartola and his brother, William (Cheryl) Niro.Visitation" from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm, Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Prayers 9:15 am, Thursday, August 18, 2016 at the Funeral Home, proceeding to St. James Catholic Church, 831 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, Illinois for Mass at 10:00 am." Interment at All Saints Cemetery.In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to Harmony, Hope and Healing, 703 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60661 (312) 466-0267, http://www.harmonyhopeandhealing.org or to Under the Rainbow, California Ave. at 15th St., Chicago, IL 60608 (773) 542-2000, http://www.sinai.org/content/under-rainbow.Funeral information and condolences www.GlueckertFH.com or (847) 253-0168.