206.274.2800 (direct)
whitaker@newmanlaw.com

John Whitaker

John oversees Newman & Newman’s patent practice, and has prepared hundreds of patent applications for inventions in a wide variety of subject areas. He has particular expertise working with issues involving computer software and hardware, Internet, e-commerce, telecommunications, electronics, networks and other related technologies; and has had dozens of patents issue in those fields for clients from small businesses to major Fortune 500 companies. He also counsels clients on intellectual property portfolio strategy and management (from both protection and monetization standpoints), patent license agreements and related transactions, patent invalidity and non-infringement issues, freedom-to-practice concerns, and corporate due diligence concerning intellectual property.

In law school, John was a Presidential Scholar, a member of the Cumberland Law Review, received Scholar of Merit Awards for intellectual property and constitutional law, and was selected by the faculty as a Cordell Hull Teaching Fellow. Upon graduation, the Cumberland faculty awarded John its highest distinction for academic performance and contributions to the law school by inducting him into the academic society of Curia Honoris.

John began his legal career at Jones & Askew (now Kilpatrick Stockton LLP), and has worked at other intellectual property firms including Christensen O’Connor Johnson & Kindness, and Merchant & Gould, where he was a partner. Before entering the practice of law, John was an electrical engineer and worked on President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars). He draws upon his engineering and practical experience to offer clients the best possible advice on how to achieve the broadest patent protection possible.

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