Intellectual Property

McGuireWoods’ IP attorneys excel at identifying and mitigating infringement, misappropriation, misuse and theft of IP assets. When litigation becomes inevitable, our seasoned trial advocates safeguard clients’ interests, whether by countering baseless allegations or through pursuing rightful claims. We try IP cases to verdict across the country and bring a trial-focused perspective to every litigation engagement.

The team also adeptly steers clients through the strategic development and management of their intellectual property portfolios, offering counsel on acquisitions and commercialization strategies for all types of IP. We act as worldwide coordinating trademark counsel and U.S. trademark counsel for iconic brands, and with McGuireWoods, clients enjoy a trusted partner dedicated to safeguarding and maximizing the value of their intellectual capital.

How We Help

McGuireWoods’ Intellectual Property Practice Group delivers tailored, high-impact IP solutions that protect and elevate clients’ most valuable intangible assets and navigate the IP rights of others. Our services encompass all facets of IP law — litigation, prosecution, counseling, licensing, and strategic transactions — empowering clients to maximize the value of their creative and technological innovations and protect their reputations. By aligning with clients’ goals, we provide proactive counsel that enhances competitive advantage, mitigates legal risks and drives sustainable growth.

Our strengths include the following.

• IP litigation and disputes
  • patent litigation
  • Patent Trial and Appeal Board and re-examination proceedings;
  • International Trade Commission (ITC) proceedings
  • trademark litigation and enforcement
  • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedingsfalse advertising and product disparagement litigationonline takedowns and domain name disputescopyright litigation and counseling
  • trade secrets litigation and counseling
  • patent prosecution and counseling
• IP transactions
  • worldwide portfolio management and trademark prosecution
  • trademark preclearance
  • licensing
  • IP transactions and IP due diligence
  • sponsorship agreements
  • advertising and marketing review
  • loyalty programs and promotions
  • brand strategy and counseling

Representative Experience

• Belvac Production Machinery, Inc. in a federal jury trial involving a competitor dispute and the high-end machinery used in the manufacturing of two-piece aluminum beverage cans, in which the jury found no infringement on all asserted patents, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit left the non-infringement verdict intact and granted Belvac’s cross-appeal invalidating all asserted patents under the on-sale bar;
• Vans Inc. in a trademark and trade dress infringement and unfair competition dispute involving Vans’ iconic OLD SKOOL, SK8-Hi, and Checkerboard design rights and over 30 different Walmart private label shoes, resulting in a preliminary injunction, requiring Walmart to remove millions of infringing shoes from its shelves;
• Major university with a famous football program in the management of the university’s U.S. trademark protection strategy, in the preclearance and risk assessment of new brands, and coordination of all foreign counsel, as well as assistance with a watching service and enforcement actions at the TTAB and in federal court; and
• Patentee, a machine and equipment manufacturer for the drilling and marine industries, in two IPR proceedings filed by a multinational oilfield services company at the PTAB, which upheld the validity of all claims of our client’s novel drilling rig system patent.