CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A real-life David vs. Goliath story unfolded last week in Chicago when a Federal jury on Friday awarded a $23 million verdict to Jacob Krippelz, Sr. in a patent infringement lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. His patent, on an automotive lighting system used in exterior rear view mirrors, was issued in 1991.

The verdict came 10 years after Krippelz first sued Ford in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Krippelz is the 77-year-old Chief Executive Officer of Jake's, Inc., a machining and heavy equipment component manufacturing company in Aurora, Illinois.

Krippelz was represented in the trial by Mark Ferguson, Adam Mortara and Hamilton Hill, all of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP of Chicago. James Ryndak and Mark Suri of the patent firm Ryndak & Suri LLP of Chicago also represented Krippelz in the litigation.

"This is the culmination of a very long fight for Jake Krippelz," said Ferguson, "and we are pleased to have been able to help him finally vindicate his patent rights."

"It is an especially gratifying result," said Ryndak, "because it shows that a hard-working individual like Jake Krippelz with a patented invention can prevail against even one of the largest corporations in America."

Jakes, Inc., which Krippelz runs together with his sons Joseph Krippelz and Jacob Krippelz, Jr., now has two plants, located in Aurora and Montgomery, Illinois. The company offers full line metal fabrication and machining of both production and custom components for a diverse range of industrial customers, including heavy equipment manufacturers.