Benesch, one of the fastest-growing firms on the AmLaw 200 list, is pleased to welcome BigLaw patent litigators Charles McMahon and David Bluestone as partners in the firm’s prominent Intellectual Property Practice Group in Chicago. Together, they bring significant first-chair litigation expertise in high-tech and high-stakes litigation. Further expanding the IP Litigation team, these talented lawyers follow the arrival of partner Eric Krischke, who joined the firm last summer and leads Benesch’s Patent Prosecution Group.
"Charlie and David’s deep expertise in electrical, mechanical and software technology litigation in Federal court, before the International Trade Commission and with the U.S. Patent Office, greatly strengthens our growing Intellectual Property bench. Their addition reinforces our commitment to providing enhanced value to our clients from inception all the way through trial, if needed," said Kal Shah, Chair of Benesch's Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group.
With a focus on patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition law, Charlie has led teams in jury and bench trials across a variety of technical areas, including wireless communications, solid-state electronics, encryption systems, vehicular transmission systems, digital imaging systems, electronic measurement devices, lithium batteries, software applications and online business-to-business exchange systems. In recent years, Charlie has tried four patent infringement cases, including two district court jury trials and two ITC Section 337 investigations.
David focuses his practice on electrical, mechanical and software technology matters and has litigated in areas including semiconductor technology, x-ray tubes, computer hardware and software, wireless communications, biomedical devices, hearing instruments, gaming, green technology and many others. He has achieved several complete wins for leading technology companies enforcing their rights against competitors attempting to copy successful products, and against non-practicing entities.
“David’s and Charlie’s technical backgrounds, combined with their records of delivering favorable results for clients in complex patent litigation, make each of them an excellent addition to our growing IP Litigation practice,” said Benesch Managing Partner Gregg Eisenberg. “Our clients will benefit from their proactive counsel and deep knowledge of IP law. We are thrilled to welcome them to Benesch.”
In their respective litigation practices, David and Charlie have represented clients in more than a dozen federal district courts; the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB); the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Supreme Court of the United States. Because litigation is just one of many tools for achieving business objectives, David and Charlie also have significant experience counseling clients on practices that can prevent litigation, in areas including licensing, negotiations, patent portfolio development, product clearance, structuring intellectual property provisions and due diligence analysis.
Prior to joining Benesch, Charlie was a partner with McDermott Will & Emery. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from George Washington University School of Law. David was a partner at Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP and, previously, at McDermott Will & Emery. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.