Shawn W. O’Dowd has joined Banner Witcoff as of counsel in Washington, D.C., adding nearly three decades of patent prosecution, counseling, and litigation experience to the nationally recognized intellectual property law firm.
Shawn is the latest of counsel addition to Banner Witcoff, which also welcomed four lateral associates during the first quarter of 2019. He comes to the firm from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, following the June 2018 addition of first-chair patent litigation attorney John R. Hutchins. Both Shawn and John were partners in the D.C. office of Kenyon & Kenyon LLP, which eventually became part of Hunton Andrews Kurth.
“Shawn is highly respected in the industry and brings a range of experience that will add depth to our patent practice,” said Banner Witcoff President Andy Mu. “He is an outstanding addition to our continuously growing firm and we are fortunate to have him.”
Recognized as a leading patent professional by Intellectual Asset Management magazine in 2018, Shawn focuses his practice on patent prosecution involving electrical and computer technologies, client counseling, inter partes reviews, and other patent matters. He has extensive experience before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and has represented high-profile clients in the transportation, automotive, construction, energy, and financial services industries.
“Banner Witcoff has a reputation as a top IP firm and is a great fit for my skill set,” Shawn said. “I am thrilled to be joining a firm that has been serving clients in this space for nearly a century.”
Earlier in his career, Shawn worked as a systems engineer intern on the TRIDENT submarine’s command and control system, and was a research assistant in IBM’s intellectual property law department. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School, and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
The four associates who have joined Banner Witcoff so far this year are Sunita Adluri, Jihan Joo and Christian LaForgia in Washington, D.C., and Kerry Creeron in Chicago. Sunita and Jihan came to the firm as associates from Sughrue Mion PLLC; Christian as IP counsel from Wickr; and Kerry as an associate from Lee Sullivan Shea & Smith LLP.
Posted: April 16, 2019
