Chad Pannell joined AddyHart P.C. as a partner in May 2020 with more than fifteen years as an outside counsel, most recently at an AmLaw 100 firm. He has extensive experience in all aspects of patent, trademark, and trade secrets litigation, including trials in U.S. district courts across the country, at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Pannell focuses his practice on technology litigation and intellectual property disputes involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks, false advertising, and copyrights, and he advises clients about IP litigation and strategies for enforcing their rights. He has appeared before courts all over the U.S., including district courts in California, Texas, Delaware, Georgia, Washington and New York, the ITC, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Pannell has also been appointed as a Special Master in U.S. district court to oversee patent disputes.
Pannell has managed all aspects of litigation for companies large and small, from discovery to jury trials and appeals. In addition to many successful settlements and judgments, he successfully litigated a three-week patent infringement jury trial on internet network security devices and a two-week patent infringement bench trial on microbial cleaning.
A chemical engineer before attending law school, Pannell’s experience encompasses a wide range of technologies across industry, including avionics, military technologies, computer software and hardware, geospatial positioning systems (GPS), thermal imaging, virtual reality, mobile applications and Internet technologies, energy efficiency and “green” technologies, textiles and clothing technologies, telecommunications, metals refining and processing, industrial equipment and processes, chemicals, medical and medical monitoring devices, and 3D printing and printing technologies.
In addition to his extensive experience in litigation, Pannell advises companies on protecting patent portfolios and performs due diligence to help them avoid IP disputes. He has developed methods of reviewing and analyzing hundreds of patents for clients on a cost-effective basis.
Prior to joining AddyHart, Pannell was Counsel at an AmLaw 100 law firm in Atlanta; before that he was an IP litigation associate in another Atlanta firm. Prior to that, he was a law clerk to Judge Arthur J. Gajarsa on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington DC. He previously was a law clerk to Judge Stanley F. Birch on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta.
Prior to attending law school, Pannell worked as an engineer at Honeywell International, Inc. in Richmond, Virginia, where he was involved in research and development for nylon polymer products, and as a Co-op Environmental Engineer for Delta Air Lines, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pannell was recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a Georgia “Rising Star” in the area of Intellectual Property Litigation in 2009, from 2011 to 2016, and in 2019. He was named a 2017 “IP Star” by Managing Intellectual Property magazine and was recognized as one of Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite” for Intellectual Property Law in 2012, 2017, and 2019. Pannell received the Linn Inn Alliance Distinguished Service Medal in 2014 for his outstanding service in helping to bring the American Inn of Court experience to the intellectual property community, and he was recognized in 2010 and 2011 by the Federal Circuit Bar Association for his pro bono activity in the Circuit community. Pannell is a longtime volunteer and leader at Boy Scouts of America as a Cubmaster, Adult Leader Trainer and Troop Committee member, and he is involved in district fundraising.
Pannell earned his J.D. magna cum laude at the University of Georgia in 2004 and a B.S. in chemical engineering with high honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1999.
