“A savant when it comes to strategic thinking on patent and other matters” (IAM Patent 1000), Paul is a trial and appellate lawyer who focuses his practice on all manner of complex intellectual property disputes involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and unfair competition. Clients rely on Paul to develop practical litigation strategies and guide them through every stage of a dispute, from initial case assessment through trial, appeal, and resolution.
Paul regularly serves as lead counsel in jury and bench trials and has represented clients in appeals before the Federal Circuit and throughout the country. His experience spans disputes involving a wide range of technologies and industries, and he collaborates closely with clients to align litigation strategy with their broader business objectives.
Consistently recognized by third-party publications, IAM Patent 1000 refers to Paul as “a commanding presence in the courtroom, [who] understands the finer points of patent strategy and is equipped with polished trial skills.” Clients have praised Paul as one of the “smartest and most effective IP lawyers on the market.”
Paul frequently writes and speaks on intellectual property litigation, appellate practice, and veterans’ affairs. He has served as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law and the Franklin Pierce Law Center at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, and he previously served as a visiting professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Paul also maintains an active pro bono practice representing disabled veterans in appeals before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Federal Circuit. He is the author of the casebook Veterans Affairs Law and previously served consecutive terms on the Rules Advisory Committee to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
- Representing a leading tobacco and e-vapor company against competing e-vapor product manufacturers in connection with a protracted series of patent disputes related to e-vapor products before the United States International Trade Commission, the Federal Circuit, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, as well as in ancillary constitutional litigation in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Representing a consumer products company in patent litigation relating to nasal irrigation devices.
- Representing a commercial real estate capital firm in a trademark dispute.
- Secured a significant victory for a leading open-source generative AI company in a first-of-its-kind class action lawsuit brought by a group of artists challenging the use of copyrighted works in AI model training.*
- Served as lead trial counsel for a national logistics company in a software dispute involving copyright and trade secret claims, including a two-week jury trial and multiple appeals to the Ninth Circuit.*
- Represented a global direct-to-consumer consumer products company in a multi-jurisdictional, decade-long patent dispute against a key competitor involving expandable and retractable hose technology.*
- Served as trial counsel for a global pharmaceutical company in a two-week jury trial involving patents relating to kinase inhibitors used for targeted cancer treatments.*
- Served as lead counsel for a pediatric orthopedic hospital in a series of patent lawsuits relating to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) used in joint implant technology.*
- Represented a multinational pharmaceutical company in a patent dispute relating to the at-risk launch of a competing pharmaceutical formulation used to treat ulcerative colitis.*
- Represented a major defense vehicle manufacturer in a trademark and trade dress infringement lawsuit against a video game developer involving the depiction of military vehicles in a leading video game franchise.*
- Served as lead counsel for a skincare device manufacturer in a design patent, trade dress, and unfair competition dispute involving dermaplaning skincare technology.*
- Served as lead counsel for a major mattress manufacturer in a dispute involving three patents related to foam mattress technology. Successfully obtained Federal Circuit reversal of district court decision improperly denying enforcement of settlement agreement.
- Served as lead counsel for an automotive technology company in a Federal Circuit appeal involving vehicle collision detection technology, successfully securing affirmance of a final written decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.*
- Served as lead counsel in a patent infringement lawsuit against a leading company in the digital video camera technology inudstry.*
- Served as lead counsel for an audiovisual technology company in a patent infringement lawsuit involving data transfer technologies used in video display systems.*
- Served as trial counsel for an interactive program guide technology company adverse to a major cable and telecommunications provider in an ITC investigation involving seven patents relating to interactive program guides and related technologies.*
- Served as lead trial counsel for a semiconductor company in an International Trade Commission investigation involving multiple patents related to FLASH memory device technology.*
- Served as lead counsel for a major US software company in an appeal to the Federal Circuit from a final determination of the International Trade Commission in a patent lawsuit relating to video game consoles.*
*The above matters were handled by Mr. Schoenhard prior to joining McGuireWoods LLP.
Ranked by IAM Patent 1000, 2012-2025
Named a “Patent Star,” Managing IP’s IP Stars, 2024-2025
Named a “Trademark Star,” Managing IP’s IP Stars, 2024-2025