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Steven E. Adkins Partner

Washington D.C.
T +1 202 857 1704
F fax +1 202 828 2963
seadkins@mcguirewoods.com
email
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Steve focuses his practice on Section 337 IP and trade litigation. He has handled approximately 75 investigations before the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. He is a trusted advisor to both respondents and complainants based in the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America. His experience spans a multitude of industries including automotive, computer software, telecommunications, chemicals, mechanical patents and semiconductors.

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Steve also represents clients in complex commercial litigation related to patent infringement, trademark and trade dress infringement, trade secrets and general business disputes. In addition to first-chair experience with bench and jury trials, he has appeared before state and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Steve is a frequent speaker and author in the U.S. and abroad on matters related to intellectual property litigation and Section 337 investigations.

Experience

Representation of client in patent litigation involving composite aerogel insulation materials and methods for manufacturing the same.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving baseband processor chips and chipsets, transmitter and receiver (radio) chips, power control chips, and products containing same, including cellular telephone handsets ("Kyocera").

Representation of client in patent litigation involving ceramic capacitors.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving flash memory controllers, drives, memory cards and media players.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving handheld electronic computing devices, related software and their components.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving intermediate bulk containers.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving laminated floor panels.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving laser bar code scanners, scan engines and their components.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving peripheral devices and components.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving prepegs, laminates, and finished circuit boards.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving semiconductor chips with minimized chip package size and products containing same (i and iii).

Representation of client in patent litigation involving semiconductor chips with dram circuitry.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving semiconductor integrated circuits using tungsten metallization.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving short-wavelength light emitting diodes, laser diodes certain sortation systems.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving switches.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving video game systems and controllers.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving drill bits.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving certain vision-based driver assistance system cameras & their components.

Representation of client in patent litigation involving toner cartridges and their components.

  • University of Richmond School of Law, JD, 1991
  • Georgia College, BA, with Honors, 1984

Member, U.S. International Trade Commission Committee, Intellectual Property Owners Association, 2020-2021

ITC Trial Lawyers Association

Corporate Counsel Committee, ABA Section of Litigation

Asia Society

The China Institute

Foreign Policy Discussion Group

Friends of the Freer/Sackler Museums

Hong Kong Association of New York

International Bar Association

National Committee for US-China Relations

Rotary Club of Washington DC

Rose Group for Cross Cultural Understanding, Board Member

Rotary Foundation, Board Member

World Affairs Council

Member, Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.

Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society

  • Speaker, Not Mere Litigation: Blocking Infringing Products at the ITC and Customs, March 10, 2021
  • Presenter, "Conducting Effective Discovery in Asia: A Unique Perspective on Data Collection in China, Japan and Korea," ACI, February 25, 2015
  • Presenter, Trade Secrets: Taken In China; Litigated in America, April 30, 2013
  • Presenter, "What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You - Not Just Litigation: Section 337 Investigations at the US International Trade Commission," US-China Business Connections Leader and Luminaries Forum, New York, NY, April 25, 2013
  • Panelist, "China and Intellectual Property with China Embassy IP Attaché," The Intellectual Property Breakfast Club, Kitzbühel, Austria, 2011
  • Presenter, Not Mere Litigation: Section 337 IP Infringement Investigation, November 2010 (in Chinese)
  • Presenter, "The Accused Infringer–Caught in the Crossfire—Strategies for Continuing to Do Business in the Face of an ITC Remedial Order," American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2008
  • Presenter, "An Introduction to Significant Issues in US Law," Presentation for a Delegation of Lawyers and Officials from the Jiangsu Province of China, Washington, DC, November 29, 2008
  • Presenter, "High-Stakes Patent Litigation Practice: Patent Litigation in the International Trade Commission, the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court," Cambridge, MA, November 28, 2007
  • Presenter, "Friend or Foe: Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations," Korea Small Business Association, Seoul, Korea, May 30, 2007
  • Presenter, "Section 337: A Primer," Rotary Club of Beijing, China, May 29, 2007
  • Presenter, "Not Mere Litigation: General Exclusion Orders at the U.S. International Trade Commission," 2007 Chinese Hi-Tech Enterprise and U.S. IP Litigation Strategy Forum, Beijing, China, May 25, 2007
  • Presenter, "Responding to Section 337 Investigations," 2007 Chinese Hi-Tech Enterprise and U.S. IP Litigation Strategy Forum, Shanghai, China, May 23, 2007
  • Presenter, "Nuts and Bolts of Section 337 Investigations," 2007 Chinese Hi-Tech Enterprise and U.S. IP Litigation Strategy Forum, Shenzhen, China, May 22, 2007
  • Presenter, "Friend or Foe: Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations," American Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, China, May 20, 2007
  • Presenter, "Section 337 Investigations: A Primer," Texas State Bar, Intellectual Property Law Section, Dallas, Texas, March 2007
  • Presenter, Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China and The Global Marketplace, Seattle, Washington, July 2006
  • Presenter, "How China is Affecting Intellectual Property: Section 337 Investigations," The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, China Roadshow, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2006
  • Presenter, Friend or Foe: Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations at the United States International Trade Commission, New Delhi, India, February 2006
  • Presenter, "Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission," IPR Summit 2006, Bangalore, India, January 2006
  • Presenter, "Not Mere Litigation: Using Section 337 to Protect the Asian Company's US IP Rights," British Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, January 2006
  • Presenter, "Friend or Foe: Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations at the United States International Trade Commission," Hong Kong SAR Intellectual Property Department, Hong Kong, January 2006
  • Presenter, "A Guide to Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations," Sino-American Forum of Intellectual Property Rights, Dongguan, China, October 2005
  • Presenter, "A Guide to Using Section 337 to Enforce IP Rights in the United States," Hong Kong SAR, China, October 2005
  • Presenter, Guide to Section 337 IP Infringement Investigation, Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, July 2005
  • Presenter, "IP Infringement and the Ultimate Rocket Docket: Enforcing ITC Orders Against Infringing Goods," 31st Annual Intellectual Property Law Summer Institute, Mackinac Island, Michigan, July 2005
  • Presenter, "Section 337 IP Infringement Investigations: A Primer," Hong Kong SAR, China, July 2005
  • Presenter, "Not Mere Litigation: IP Infringement Actions at the U.S. International Trade Commission," Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, May 2005
  • Presenter, IP Infringement Actions in the Ultimate Rocket Docket: the U.S. International Trade Commission, Beijing and Shanghai, China, October 2004
  • Presenter, Section 337 IP Infringement Actions for Respondents (and Complainants) Based In Taiwan, Hsinchu City, Taiwan, October 2004
  • Presenter, "The Ins and Outs of Section 337 Investigations," Michigan Bar Association, Mackinac Island, Michigan, July 2004
  • Presenter, "Mining Your Patent Portfolio: Using Section 337 to Enforce IP Rights," Law Seminars International, Houston, Texas, November 2003
  • Presenter, Responding to A Section 337 (IP Infringement) Investigation, Tokyo, Japan, October 2003
  • Presenter, "Not Mere Litigation: Section 337 Investigations before the International Trade Commission," Centre for International Legal Studies, Kitzbühel, Austria, January 2002
  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Patent, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021

Named a Client Service "All-Star," BTI Consulting, 2018

Selected for inclusion in America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Intellectual Property (Section 337), Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2016-2018

Selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 US, Intellectual Property – International Trade Commission, 2016

Named to the IAM Patent 1000, Litigation: DC Metro Area, 2015-2016

Named to the IAM Patent 1000, International Trade Commission: National , 2015-2016

News

PRESS RELEASE

Four McGuireWoods Partners Honored on Elite List of BTI Client Service All-Stars

April 23, 2018
PRESS RELEASE

McGuireWoods’ Energy Team Highly Ranked in Chambers and Partners’ Global Guide

February 20, 2018
PRESS RELEASE

Steven Adkins Joins McGuireWoods in Washington, Adds Firepower to Firm’s ITC Litigation Practice

April 20, 2017
All News
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