John Polzin, 80, an international trademark attorney who lived in Evanston, died March 15. He was born in Rock Island, Ill. Mr. Polzin received his bachelor’s degree in economics and speech from the University of Illinois in 1941 and his law degree from the university’s law school in 1943. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in May,1943 and the following month was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy. He was sent to Harvard University for training in naval communications. He then saw duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific. He had earned the rank of lieutenant by the end of World War II. In 1946 he opened a law office in Galva in northwestern Illinois. He served as Galva’s city attorney for four years and then moved to Chicago in 1954 to begin a career in trademark law. Mr. Polzin worked for the patent, trademark and copyright law firm, Langner, Parry, Card and Langner of New York and Chicago until 1975. He handled the trademarks of major corporations in 150 nations and jurisdictions and dealt with the issues of international treaties, licenses,and registrations. In 1975 he established his own law firm in Chicago and retired in 1992. Mr. Polzin, who was listed in “Who’s Who in the World” and “Who’s Who in America,” was a member of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago and served as the chairman of its Foreign Trademark Committee for a number of years. In 1981-82 he served as chairman of the Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association. He also wrote articles and lectured for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Polzin is survived by his wife, Helen. Services were held Thursday.
