Thomas Makin

Practice Areas

Thomas focuses on intellectual property litigation, in federal and state court, in arbitration, and before the International Trade Commission. He participates in post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and counsels clients regarding substantive patent law, patent valuation and licensing issues.

Thomas represents plaintiffs and defendants across a wide range of technologies, including: vehicular safety, propulsion, infotainment, and control systems; semiconductor circuitry, fabrication, and packaging; lighting systems; rechargeable battery systems; fintech software; monoclonal antibodies; and medical devices.

In a recent trial, Thomas was lead counsel to Nichia Corporation in a three-patent ITC Investigation. After a week-long hearing, in which Thomas directed Respondents’ main technical witness and cross-examined Complainants’ expert, the ALJ—and, ultimately, the Commission—found all patent claims not infringed, not supportive of a technical domestic industry and/or invalid.

He has been recognized in a number of legal publications, including The Legal 500 and IAM Patent 1000. IAM Patent 1000 has noted that “Thomas is dedicated to work hard and get things done,” “is able to answer any questions precisely and effectively,” and that “[h]is team is great, especially because of Thomas’ strong leadership.”

His clients have included: DENSO Corporation, GE Healthcare, Genmab A/S, Nichia Corporation, Olympus Corporation, Vantage Specialty Chemicals, SS&C Technologies, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Volkswagen Group of America.