Clifton E. McCann

• Has prosecuted, licensed, evaluated, and litigated patents in technologies that include alloys, autoimmune disease treatment, banking and business methods, catalysis, caulks and sealants, coatings, consumer products, data extraction, data streaming, diagnostics, e-cigarettes, encryption, filtration, green technology, hand and power tools, hardware, laboratory equipment, LEDs, lubricants, measurement and detection instruments, medical devices, metrology, microorganism recovery, mixing equipment, oil and gas, packaging, paper shredders, pharmaceuticals, plastics, power generation, semiconductors, shipping containers, software, sprinklers, storm water treatment, TENS devices, and water and wastewater treatment.
• Has prosecuted hundreds of trademark applications, licensed, evaluated, and litigated trademark rights, and managed trademark portfolios. Has registered hundreds of copyrights, managed copyright portfolios, and litigated on copyright validity and infringement.
• Has counseled clients and provided opinions on all aspects of patents, trade secrets, design patents, trademarks, trade dress, and copyrights, and the interrelatedness and advantages and disadvantages of all forms of intellectual property. Has provided opinions on intellectual property availability, validity, evaluation, freedom to operate, and infringement.
• Has litigated patent infringement disputes throughout United States, including in federal district courts in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Representative publications:

• Co-author, "The U.S. Supreme Court’s Helsinn Decision Makes Six Years of U.S. Patents Vulnerable to “On Sale” Prior Art," In House Defense Quarterly, Summer 2019
• “Inventors Beware: Even Secret Activity Can Sink Your Patent,” Thompson Hine Intellectual Property Update, January 2019
• “Preparing for the Next Generation of Actively Managed ETFs,” Thompson Hine ETF Reg Insights, January 2019
• "Medical Device Marketing Under Substantial Equivalence – FDA Clearance and USPTO Patent Consideration,” Regulatory Focus, Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, September 2018
• “Supreme Court Decisions Bring Needed Certainty to PTAB Challenge Process,” Thompson Hine Intellectual Property Update, April 2018
• “Trump Administration Moves Against Chinese IP Violations,” Thompson Hine International Trade & Intellectual Property Update, August 2017
• “PTAB Challenges Can Reduce Royalty Obligations, Open New Markets,” Thompson Hine Intellectual Property Update, March 2016
• “Patent Owner’s Considerations For Review Proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Concurrent with Litigation,” IPO White Paper, IPO Law Journal, July 15, 2015 (co-author)
• "Hague Agreement Enhances Benefits Of US Design Patents," Law360, May 15, 2015
• "Dollars and Sense: A Water Technology Owner's Guide to Transferring Intellectual Property," Ultrapure Water Journal, August 26, 2014
• "IP Audits: What are they? Why are they important? What do they cost?", Corporate Compliance Insights, July 15, 2013
• "Obtaining, Challenging and Enforcing Pharmaceutical Patents Under the America Invents Act," Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst, September 2012
• "America Invents Act of 2011: Major Changes in the Law that Will Affect Patent Litigation Strategies," IP Frontline, October 2011

Representative presentations:

• "Protection of Proprietary Technology throughout the Supply Chain: Patents and Trade Secrets,” GlobalChem 2015, Baltimore, MD, March 2015
• “Water Projects: Hot Topics in Finance & Innovation," 2014 Sustainable Manufacturer & Water 2.0 Conference, Northern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, May 2014
• "Intellectual Property Audits: The Purpose, Importance, and Cost," National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, March 2014
• "Dispute Avoidance and Resolution After the America Invents Act," National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 2012
• "America Invents Act of 2011: How You Can Use It to Your Company's Advantage," International Water Conference, November 2011
• "Effective Use of Patents to Raise Capital and Protect R&D," Annual Water Innovations Alliance Conference, September 2011

• Listed as IP Star for Washington, D.C., based on Managing Intellectual Property survey, 2012-2018
• Selected for inclusion in Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers, 2012-2019
• Recipient of American Mensa, Ltd. 2010 Chairman's Award for outstanding service for protecting the MENSA trademark
• AV® Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 1986
• Named one of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore's Top Rated Lawyers for Intellectual Property Law by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®

Professional Associations

• Bar Association of the District of Columbia (past chair, IP Law Section)
• Bar Association of D.C. Foundation (member, board of trustees);
• American Bar Association (past chair of Committee 601, Federal IP Litigation, and Patent Claim Interpretation Subcommittee)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Federal Circuit Bar Association
• Licensing Executives' Society
• American Chemical Society
• Patent Lawyers Club of Washington
• Intellectual Property Owners Association (member, PTAB Practice Committee)