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John L. North
Partner / AtlantaJohn L. North is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
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Full Bio
John L. North serves clients facing complex intellectual property challenges, providing strategic litigation and counseling in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition matters. He distinguishes himself through extensive experience leading over 100 intellectual property cases across major U.S. courts and internationally, delivering practical clarity and tailored strategies for clients ranging from solo inventors to billion-dollar corporations in diverse industries such as technology, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications. His experience includes assisting patent holders with the monetization of their portfolios, including through funded litigation.
John focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, handling complex disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition. He also advises clients on patent licensing, portfolio strategy, pre-litigation counseling, and inter partes review. His litigation experience spans all major IP courts in the United States and extends globally to clients in Australia, Taiwan, Israel, and Western Europe.
John’s technical expertise covers a broad spectrum of industries, including artificial intelligence, smartphone and email security, computer software and hardware, telecommunications, chemicals, minerals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare information systems, and consumer and construction products. This diverse knowledge enables him to align legal strategies with clients’ business objectives effectively.
His client base ranges from large multinational corporations to smaller organizations, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. John is recognized for his client service focus, ensuring practical and efficient solutions tailored to each client’s needs. He contributes to the legal community as a founding committee member of the Atlanta Intellectual Property Inn of Court and serves as an adjunct professor at Emory School of Law.
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Representative Experience
- Lead counsel in over 100 intellectual property cases across major U.S. courts and international jurisdictions.
- Represented clients in complex patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation.
- Advised on patent licensing, portfolio strategy, and pre-litigation counseling.
- Managed inter partes review proceedings for diverse technology clients.
- Served a broad client base from solo inventors to billion-dollar corporations in communications, computing, media, and pharmaceuticals.
- Appointed Special Master in two patent cases.
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Bar Admissions
Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. Federal Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court -
Education
Undergraduate- Duke University
Law School- Emory University School of Law
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Memberships
Founding Committee, Atlanta Intellectual Property Inn of Court
Adjunct Professor, Emory School of Law
Global Fellow, Federal Circuit Bar Association
Member, Georgia Bar Association
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Recognitions
The Best Lawyers in America®, 2026
Chambers USA, 2003-2025
Georgia Super Lawyers, Top 100 List, 2017-2025
Super Lawyers, 2004-2025
IAM Patent 1000, 2012-2025
AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (1999-2020); Judicial Award (2016-2022) -
Publications and Speaking Engagements
Emory Law Journal
Numerous presentations and papers on expert evidence issues, including in the Scientific Evidence Review publication of the Science and Technology Section of the American Bar Association.
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SGR Publications
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Press