Mr. Lyerla is a counselor and trusted advisor to his clients concerning competition and intellectual property disputes. But he is best known for representing clients in patent and trade secret litigation. He has tried dozens of cases representing such companies as General Dynamics, General Electric, Quaker Oats, MCI, AM International, Solo Cup Company, Oster Communications, Monosol, Business Records Corporation, US Robotics and others. He also has resolved numerous disputes through negotiated business arrangements or summary dispositions in court for such clients as Hospira, Viskase, Charter Communications, Wolfram Research, Shopko, Chris Craft and more. His litigation has involved a wide variety of technologies, including applied mathematics, communications, electrical and software engineering, computing, computer chips, medical devices, chemicals, food science, manufacturing, consumer products, aeronautics and pharmaceuticals. Mr. Lyerla is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Patent Litigation and Counseling Practice Group and a member of the Antitrust and Competition Law Practice Groups.

Mr. Lyerla is respected in his field. He has been recognized by Chambers USA, where he has been described by clients as “a brilliant strategist” and "a lawyer I love to work with." He has been selected as a Super Lawyer in Illinois repeatedly, including as one of the top 100 lawyers in Illinois He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the Law. He has been selected as a member of the Leading Lawyer network for intellectual property litigation and he has been selected repeatedly as a Top Intellectual Property Lawyer in Illinois by Chicago Lawyer magazine. Mr. Lyerla is AV Peer Review rated, Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability.

Mr. Lyerla is a thought leader in patent and trade secret litigation. He regularly speaks and publishes on issues in patent and trade secret litigation. He was a member of the advisory committee of lawyers who collaborated with the judges of the Northern District of Illinois to write the local rules for patent litigation now adopted by that court. He is a contributing author to Patent Claim Construction in the Federal Circuit published by West. He has been editor in chief of the ABA publication Intellectual Property Litigation for 15 years and now serves on the editorial board. Mr. Lyerla’s article titled “Understand the Two Approaches to Claim Construction” was cited and quoted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit as secondary authority in its 2012 opinion involving patent claim construction in MySpace, Inc. v. GraphOn Corporation, 2011-1149 (Fed. Cir. March 2, 2012).

Mr. Lyerla is committed to pro bono work. He has tried numerous pro bono trials for the indigent including two murder trials. He has received the John Powers Crowley Justice Award for his pro bono work.