John P. Pennington is a Partner in the Intellectual Property and Litigation practices of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. He is a trial attorney whose practice focuses primarily on intellectual property, construction, and antitrust litigation.
For more than a decade, Mr. Pennington has represented clients in a wide array of commercial disputes in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia and Federal Courts around the country including targeted patent venues like the Eastern District of Texas, Delaware, and the Northern District of California. In the construction area, Mr. Pennington has represented a variety of plaintiffs and defendants including construction management firms, general contractors and subcontractors in Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Pennington also maintains a trademark prosecution practice that focuses on the outdoor gear and gaming industries.
Mr. Pennington was recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Association on its “Top 40 Under 40” list. He has also been named to the Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Rising Stars list since 2019. In 2022, Mr. Pennington was named a “Pro Bono Service Honor Roll” member by the Virginia Access to Justice Commission. Mr. Pennington serves as General Counsel to Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which is one of the largest volunteer organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. He also serves on the Advisory Council for the American Discovery Trail Society, which develops and manages more than 6,800 miles of trail stretching across the country from Delaware to California.
Mr. Pennington received his B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2006 and his J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law in 2011.
Mr. Pennington is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the North Carolina Bar, as well as the District of Columbia Bar and is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Supreme Court of Virginia.