John Hobgood’s practice includes all aspects of intellectual property, including patent and trademark portfolio development, trade secret and copyright protection, post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trials and Appeal Board (PTAB), and IP litigation. Mr. Hobgood advises clients on patent prosecution and provides strategic IP advice relating to the electrical, mechanical, and chemical arts, including computers, electronics, semiconductors, software, medical devices, optics, analytical platforms, hydrocarbon processing, molten metal electrolysis, metallurgical techniques, and food and beverages. He also has extensive experience handling matters involving strategic development, the analysis and management of domestic and foreign patent portfolios, client counseling, and intellectual property due diligence for transactions and financings.

Mr. Hobgood counsels clients from a broad range of industries on IP litigation matters before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, US district court, and US International Trade Commission. He serves as lead counsel to clients before the PTAB and argues in post-grant proceedings, including inter partes review. Mr. Hobgood also works with foreign counsel in advising clients on IP litigation matters outside of the United States.

Mr. Hobgood is a trusted advisor when it comes to trademark law. He helps clients manage their portfolios in the United States and abroad, advises clients on trademark selection, and obtains trademark protection in markets around the world. He also has experience with contested matters, such as trademark oppositions.

Mr. Hobgood’s past experience includes working as a process control engineer in the petrochemical industry. He designed and implemented computerized plant control and safety systems, including plant data historian and billing systems, and he helped design and implement local and multi-plant information networks. In addition, he was a member of numerous manufacturing plant startup teams. He has also worked as an environmental engineer at a chemical plant, where he assisted with environmental government regulatory compliance, implemented cost reduction projects for hazardous waste disposal and assisted with completion of a plant Title V permit application.

As an undergraduate studying Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, Mr. Hobgood conducted research evaluating empirical modeling techniques for chemical processes.

Mr. Hobgood serves as co-chair of the Boston Hiring Committee.

Professional Activities

• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• American Bar Association
• Boston Bar Association
• Boston Patent Law Association, Co-chair Chemical Patent Practice Committee
• PTAB Bar Association