Thomas J. McWilliams is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg's Wilmington, Delaware office and a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Department.
Thomas J. McWilliams
Partner
Thomas J. McWilliams
Partner
Thomas J. McWilliams is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg's Wilmington, Delaware office and a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Department.
- OVERVIEW
- EXPERIENCE
- INSIGHTS & EVENTS
Thomas has substantial experience in all aspects of the intellectual property practice, including the preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patents, trademarks, and copyrights; the litigation of patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secret, copyright, domain name, and contractual matters; and the counseling of clients in intellectual property opinion, transactional, and capitalization and acquisition matters. Among many other capitalization and acquisition matters, Thomas has led the development of a $150 million investment fund dedicated to emerging defense-related technologies, and has leveraged patents he obtained for a hi-tech client to broker a $1.1 billion acquisition of that client based on its patent portfolio.
In addition, he has significant experience in representing clients in reexamination and reissue proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Thomas also counsels international clients on United States and international patent practice, and has participated as an in-house U.S. patent practitioner and as a presenter on U.S. patent practice while stationed in Japan and Russia. His articles about U.S. and international intellectual property have been published on numerous occasions, and he is often a featured speaker on various intellectual property issues.
Thomas has broad technological experience, including in complex circuits, semiconductor and integrated circuit fabrication, telecommunications, content distribution, set top box and display technologies, nanotechnology, electromagnetic sciences, computer software and computing methods, and in the mechanical and industrial arts.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Thomas was a partner at Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP. In addition, Thomas has also served as a partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and Reed Smith LLP, and has worked at Kirkpatrick and Lockhart LLP.
Thomas earned his J.D., with honors, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He earned his M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, and two B.S. degrees, one in Electrical Engineering and one in Industrial Engineering and Business Management, cum laude from Wilkes University.
Thomas is a member of the American Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Thomas is not regularly admitted to practice law in the local courts of Delaware.