Profile

Shawn is a patent attorney and Co-Chair of the McNees Intellectual Property Group.  Shawn’s practice includes advice and counseling on all aspects of intellectual property law, with a focus on patent matters, including patent prosecution, enforcement, licensing, and risk avoidance strategies.  He is involved in portfolio planning and management, evaluating and preparing non-infringement and invalidity opinions, structuring and negotiating patent, trade secret and copyright license agreements, as well as development agreements and assisting with IP aspects of diligence in mergers and acquisitions.  Shawn’s practice is international and he routinely works with an extensive group of foreign counsel around the world to help manage clients’ portfolios worldwide.

Shawn’s experience spans a variety of industries.  He works closely with a variety of food manufacturers, one of the world’s largest dental manufacturers, and a medical textile and biomaterials company.

Shawn is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.  Shawn regularly speaks and writes on patent law and other intellectual property topics of interest and his work as an attorney has been featured in publications by the PA Legal Intelligencer, JD Supra, and the American Corporate Counsel Association.  He serves on the executive boards of the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and the Boy Scouts of America, New Birth of Freedom Council.

EXPERIENCE/REPRESENTATIVE CASES

Defended international dental equipment manufacturer from patent claim brought by patent licensing company pertaining to a method of manufacturing dental restorations resulting in summary judgment of non-infringement

Defended international dental equipment manufacturer in action asserting patent and trade secret claims related to dental curing lights, resulting in settlement of less than 10% of original demand

Asserted patent on behalf of church product manufacturer against national wholesaler resulting in client obtaining a permanent injunction enjoining further sales of the infringing device

Defended international dental equipment manufacturer in case involving multiple counts of patent infringement relating to dental surgery, resulting in favorable settlement

EDUCATION

The Pennsylvania State University, B.S., Chemical Engineering, 1999

William & Mary Law School, J.D., 2002, Order of the Coif

HONORS/AWARDS

Pennsylvania Rising Stars®, 2008, 2010, 2011

Select Lawyers, 2014, 2016

MEMBERSHIPS

Executive Board, New Birth of Freedom Council, BSA

Treasurer, 2022; Executive Committee, Capital Region Economic and Development Corporation (CREDC)

Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)

Member, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Susquehanna Section

Member, York Springs Lions Club

 

COURT ADMISSIONS

U.S. District Court – Middle District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court – Western District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania

Virginia (Associate Member)

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

PUBLICATIONS

March 1, 2023 - Offer or Quote – Contract Question Remains the Source of Patent Peril
The Legal Intelligencer

January 24, 2023 - 2022 Patent Law Recap: IPR Argument Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, and Forum Selection Clauses
Part 2 in McNees Wallace & Nurick’s series: 2022 Intellectual Property Year in Review

April 22, 2022 - Forum Selection Clause Precludes IPR—Non Conveniens Becomes Impossibilis

February 25, 2022 - Supreme Court Excuses Inadvertent Mistakes in Copyright Registration
McNees Intellectual Property Update

January 7, 2020 - McNees 2019 in Review - Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents
McNees Intellectual Property Client Alert

September 4, 2019 - Diligence Under Duress: IP Review Even When Time Is Short or the Budget Is Tight
Corporate Counsel Business Journal

March 11, 2019 - Supreme Court Issues Two Unanimous Decisions in Copyright Litigation Cases
Intellectual Property Client Alert

January 11, 2019 - McNees 2018 in Review - Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents
McNees Intellectual Property Client Alert

February 28, 2018 - 2017 In Review - Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents
McNees Intellectual Property Client Alert

March 15, 2017 - Inducement of Patent Infringement by Export – One is Never Enough
Intellectual Property Client Alert

January 30, 2017 - McNees 2016 In Review - Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents
McNees Intellectual Property Alert

December 7, 2016 - Samsung Versus Apple in the Design Patent Wars: The Supreme Court Strikes Back – And Punts
McNees Intellectual Property Client Alert

June 13, 2016 - Enhanced Patent Damages Standard Relaxed – Supreme Court Sinks Seagate
McNees Client Update

February 8, 2016 - Federal Circuit “Tones Down” Efforts to Expand Patent Exhaustion
Intellectual Property Client Alert

July 1, 2015 - The Long-Running War Between Smartphone Giants Apple and Samsung
Metropolitan Corporate Counsel

February 5, 2015 - Intellectual Property 2014 Year in Review

June 21, 2014 - Intellectual Property Alert
Supreme Court Reverses Federal Circuit on Two Key Patent Issues

January 18, 2014 - Quentin Tarantino’s Lawsuit Against Gawker: Enjoy!