Robert H. Williams
Associate
- Greenville, SC
- (864) 271-1592
- rwilliams@dority-manning.com
What you should know about me:
I enjoy learning about new technologies and appreciate the opportunity to help clients protect their intellectual property rights. I have experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent and trademark applications, as well as rendering patent related opinions, including validity, infringement, and right to practice opinions.
- Known as a results-oriented, effective advocate for clients
- Nature enthusiast who has had up-close encounters in the wild with an alligator, a water moccasin, and a mother bear with a cub
- Helped research microbial breakdown of municipal solid waste materials and byproducts to support new ways to reduce the environmental impact from landfills
Robert’s Experience
As a former patent examiner, Robert understand both sides of patent prosecution and works to leverage that understanding for each invention he works with.
He also has experience working with a general practice law firm where, in addition to preparation and prosecution of patent and trademark applications, he represented clients in litigation matters that included intellectual property, products liability, construction litigation, toxic tort, professional negligence, insurance defense, trademarks, and copyrights.
Sectors
Robert focuses on the following sectors:
Background & Credentials
Education
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (B.S., Civil Engineering, 2004)
- University of South Carolina (J.D., 2008)
Admissions
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Professional Activities
- Carolina Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
Honors
- South Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016, 2018)
- Columbia Business Monthly, Midlands Legal Elite: Intellectual Property (2012-2015).
- CALI Award: Administrative Law
Publications
- “Recent Trends in the Patent Monetization Marketplace” (co-author), AIPLA Mid-Winter Institute (January 2015).
- “ZFS on Linux: Patent & Licensing Issues” Palmetto Open Source Software Conference (March 2013).
- “Intellectual Property for Engineers,” Legal Issues for South Carolina Professional Engineers (April 2013).
News & Events
States are Immune from Copyright Infringement Suits Because Congress did not Validly Abrogate State Sovereign Immunity
SUMMARY: A recent Supreme Court decision affirmed the Fourth Circuit’s holding that states are immune from copyright infringement lawsuits under sovereign immunity, invalidating an earlier statute that purported to abrogate state sovereign immunity from copyright infringement. However, the Court left open the possibility that a more tailored statute could be promulgated to address copyright infringement …
Patent Law Issues Embedded In State Law Claims May Not Create Federal Jurisdiction
SUMMARY: In Inspired Dev. Grp. v. Inspired Prods. Grp., No. 2018-1616, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 27989 (Fed. Cir. Sep. 18, 2019), the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit explained that claims related to patent license agreements are not necessarily viable in federal court. Although federal courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction over patent …
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