John currently serves as the managing partner of the Firm’s Winston-Salem and Greensboro offices, and he chaired the Firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice group from 2012 – 2021. For more than two decades, John’s practice has focused on complex disputes involving patent infringement, trademark and trade dress infringement, unfair competition, copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, antitrust, and cybersecurity (data breaches). John has served as lead trial counsel in state or federal courts sitting in North Carolina, Texas, Delaware, California, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah, Tennessee and Virginia.
John’s patent litigation experience includes computer sweepstakes software, electronic cigarettes, electronic vehicle display technology, underground drilling equipment, transit peptides, carpet tufting machinery, exercise equipment, printing and foiling technology, catalytic converters, dye tubes, firearms, furniture designs, apparel construction and manufacturing, LED components, radio frequency components, and various other mechanical and electrical engineering technologies. His copyright litigation experience includes computer software, video games, wild game mannequins, children’s books, clothing designs, photography, musical compilations and architecture. His trademark experience includes NASCAR numbers and memorabilia, firearm brands, lawn and garden brands, and clothing brands. John also helps clients investigate and respond to data breach and cybersecurity incidents and respond to related governmental investigations.
John is recognized by Chambers USA; he is ranked as one of the World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals and is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Intellectual Property Litigation and Trade Secrets law.
Professional Activities
- North Carolina State Bar
- North Carolina Bar Association, Former Section Council of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section
- Forsyth County Bar Association, 21st Judicial District
- Former Vice President, Forsyth County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division; Federal Circuit Bar Association
Honors and Awards
- Chambers USA Ranked Lawyer, Intellectual Property, North Carolina, 2020 – Present
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Trade Secrets Law, 2014 – Present
- World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, 2020 – 2022
- Recognized by North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society for pro bono work, 2021
Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Represented Nexus Technologies in Patent Inventorship Trial. In this 2021 trial, a jury returned a verdict in favor of Nexus in a patent inventorship dispute in the Western District of North Carolina.
- Represented a carpet tufting machine manufacture as the plaintiff in a vigorously contested patent infringement case filed against its primary competitor. John’s client won summary judgment of patent infringement and validity, supported by a thorough 107-page opinion from the district court judge.
- Represented a large automotive parts manufacturer as the plaintiff in a patent infringement case against large competitor. After a two week trial and while the jury was deliberating for a second day, the case settled on favorable terms.
- Represented a hospital in defense of a thirteen count complaint in which the plaintiff sought more than $100,000,000 in trebled damages for alleged HCQIA violations. John’s client won summary judgment resulting in dismissal of all of the plaintiff’s claims.
- Represented a major manufacturer of radio frequency components in pursuit of trade secret misappropriation claims against former employees and a competing business formed by those employees. Worked with the FBI and United States Attorney’s office in connection with related claims for criminal trade secret misappropriation. Those claims resulted in a plea agreement and six month prison term for one of the defendants, after which the civil case settled on favorable terms.
- Represented a major firearms manufacturer in defense of patent infringement claims filed by one of its competitors. John’s client won summary judgment invalidating the plaintiff’s patent.
