Chad D. Tillman

Chad D. Tillman is a partner and registered patent attorney at Tillman, Wright & Wolgin in Charlotte, North Carolina. His intellectual property practice focuses on patents involving electrical and mechanical technologies, including software, computer hardware, networking, consumer products, textiles, and manufacturing. He represents individual inventors and corporate clients in patent preparation, prosecution, and disputes, as well as strategic intellectual property planning and competitive clearance matters. His practice also includes patent opinions and clearance reviews to help innovators assess intellectual property held by competitors.

Chad earned a B.S. in Physics from Yale University in 1991 after three years of study. He then received a J.D., cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994, where he served as an articles editor for a law journal. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1994. His science education supports his technology-focused patent work. His physics education provides a technical background for evaluating inventions in hardware, communications, and mechanical systems.

Chad began his career at intellectual property firm Shefte, Pinckney & Sawyer and later helped establish the intellectual property practice of Kennedy Covington. He subsequently assisted with opening a Charlotte office for Morris, Manning & Martin. In 2004, he established his own law office, which evolved into the current firm. His work addresses domestic and international patent applications, patent disputes, and evaluations of whether planned products or services raise intellectual property concerns.

Chad D. Tillman is admitted to North Carolina courts, federal district courts in the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. His combination of scientific training, technical patent drafting, and litigation experience helps innovators evaluate protection strategies and the patent rights of competitors.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Tillman, Wright & Wolgin
• Member, The North Carolina State Bar

Licensed State

• North Carolina

Education

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Juris Doctor (JD) (Cum Laude)
• Yale University
  Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physics

Awards & Badges