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Patrick J. McElhinny
Patrick J. McElhinny

Patrick J. McElhinny

Partner
Pittsburgh
+1.412.355.6334
Email Patrick J. McElhinny @ patrick.mcelhinny@klgates.com
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Patrick McElhinny is a partner in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. He handles major patent cases involving various technologies. He co-led the team that won 2012’s largest verdict in the U.S. as reported by the National Law Journal. The $1.5 billion judgment in favor of Carnegie Mellon University was one of the largest ever in a patent case. The Pittsburgh Business Times published the linked profile of Patrick and his work on the Carnegie Mellon case. Patrick also has litigated cases involving trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, non-competition agreements and other complex commercial disputes. Those cases often involved claims for preliminary injunctive relief. He has 30 years of trial experience and is registered to practice before the USPTO.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Partner, associated with K&L Gates since 1988. Since 2006, Chambers and Partners has ranked Patrick annually as a leading lawyer in intellectual property litigation in its Chambers USA Guide. Super Lawyers Magazine and Best Lawyers have recognized him annually for Pennsylvania intellectual property litigation. He also has been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year" for his work in Intellectual Property Litigation in Pittsburgh in Best Lawyers 2020 edition, as one of Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America for 2012, as Outstanding Pennsylvania IP Litigator in 2014 by Managing Intellectual Property and twice as Litigator of the Week by The AmLaw Litigation Daily.

  • Recipient of “Lawyer of the Year” award in Intellectual Property by The Best Lawyers in America®, 2024
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2018-2021
  • Listed as a leader in Pennsylvania IP Litigation, IAM Patent 1000, 2020-present
  • Recognized by Chambers USA for Intellectual Property in Pennsylvania, 2023
  • Master, Intellectual Property Inn of Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
  • Graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, Class XXVI
  • Former Hiring Committee Chair and former Pro Bono Coordinator, Pittsburgh Office of K&L Gates
  • Panelist, Strategies to Minimize Intellectual Property Risk, Association for Corporate Growth Pittsburgh, January 2020
  • Panelist, Lessons for Technology Managers from the Front Lines of Litigation, Association of University Technology Managers, February 2018
  • Panelist, Current Trends in Litigation Finance, January 2018
  • The Billion Dollar Verdict in Carnegie Mellon University v. Marvell Technology Group, Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Lawyers Association, January 2017:
  • Keynote Speaker, 2014 Federal Circuit Bar Association Advanced Complex Patent Litigation Series, Western District of Pennsylvania, March 2014
  • Speaker on Patent Law, Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Internet Law Update, April 2014
  • US Supreme Court's Decision Limits Patent Owners from Claiming Infringement by Downstream Customers, BNA World Intellectual Property Report, July 2008
  • Speaker, Insurance Coverage For Intellectual Property Disputes, Washington State Bar Association, March 2007
  • Speaker, Discovery Issues in Patent and Trademark Cases, ABA, Section of Intellectual Property Law, April 2005 and 2006
  • Speaker, Preliminary Injunction Proceedings in Pennsylvania State and Federal Courts and Roadmap to a Litigation Matter (firmwide internal presentations)
Additional Thought Leadership Pages
  • The Billion Dollar Verdict in Carnegie Mellon University v. Marvell Technology Group, Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Lawyers Association, January 2017
  • "Insurance Coverage for Natural Resource Damages Claims: Fundamental Principles and Litigation Strategies," presented at a conference entitled “Natural Resource Damages Claims and Litigation,” April 1991
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