Barnes & Thornburg Welcomes Trade Litigation Partner to Growing Intellectual Property Practice in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Barnes & Thornburg is pleased to announce the addition of IP trial lawyer Steven Adkins as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office. Adkins joins the Intellectual Property Department with a focus on IP and trade litigation known as Section 337 investigations at the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

Adkins has years of experience handling patent infringement, trademark and trade dress infringement, and trade secrets disputes not only for clients based in the United States, but also for many clients based in Asia, Europe and South America. He and his team have worked across multiple industries including automotive, computer software, telecommunications, mechanical, and semiconductors and they’ve handled more than 100 investigations for clients around the world before the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. An active member of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association, Adkins has deep experience in Section 337 and trade litigation related to foreign imports into the United States. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Steve as the latest addition to our IP group,” said Julia Gard, chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. “He’ll be a tremendous asset who will continue to build on the growth of the practice, bringing along vast global experience to better service our clients.”

Through the course of his career, Adkins has appeared before state and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to represent clients in complex commercial litigation and IP matters. A prolific speaker, he often presents to groups in Europe, China, Japan and Korea on litigation topics such as blocking infringing products at the ITC and Customs.

“Steve’s strong relationships in Washington, D.C., will greatly assist the firm as we continue providing top-tier intellectual property counsel to our clients in one of the hottest markets in the U.S.,” said Roscoe Howard, Jr., managing partner of the Washington, D.C., office. “He’s a highly regarded counselor who will be a great addition to our team.”

The addition of Adkins to the IP group comes on the heels of multiple recent new hires in the practice, including the opening of the firm’s Boston office with four IP partners, further indicating Barnes & Thornburg’s dedication to their intellectual property capabilities nationally.

Adkins received and his J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and his B.A. with honors from Georgia College.