AddyHart P.C. is pleased to announce that intellectual property attorney Benjamin Cappel has joined the Chicago-based firm as counsel, bringing his experience in trials and appeals of intellectual property cases in the federal district courts, at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the International Trade Commission, and the US Patent and Trademark Office. Cappel’s experience includes representing multinational companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, semiconductor, social media, and software sectors.
Cappel previously was Senior Counsel to the YMCA of the USA in Chicago, where he managed the organization’s intellectual property portfolio, obtaining, licensing, and enforcing its IP rights. During his tenure at the YMCA, Cappel negotiated and structured agreements with professional sports leagues including the NBA and NFL, and guided and advised the organization’s incoming general counsel in managing intellectual property issues.
“We are very pleased to welcome Ben Cappel to AddyHart in Chicago,” said Meredith Addy, who with Robert Hart co-founded the specialist litigation boutique in January 2019. “Ben brings valuable experience in patent and trademark litigation, a record of excellent work in pre-litigation preparation, and deep knowledge of intellectual property matters that most concern our clients.”
Cappel began his career at Sughrue Mion PLLC in Washington D.C., where he litigated Hatch-Waxman matters, including St. Regis Mohawk Tribe v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.—the so-called Restasis case—named one of the ten most influential cases of 2018 by Law360. His experience includes district court litigation and trials at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), both for inter partes reviews and covered business method reviews. He was a member of litigation teams working on matters involving several technologies, including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, computer software, automobiles, machines for applying body art, and recreational pools and tubs.
Cappel’s experience also includes litigating trademark and copyright disputes at the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and preparing experts in advance of litigation, including for Markman hearings, depositions, and trial.
“I’m thrilled to be joining AddyHart and am excited at the prospect of working for its clients,” noted Cappel. “It’s going to be stimulating, challenging and worthwhile work.”
Cappel was formerly a Judicial Intern in U.S. District Court (D NJ) in Newark, where he assisted U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in managing his caseload, including composing legal memoranda involving substantive analysis. After his first year in law school, he was a summer associate at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox in Washington DC. He earned his J.D. from the Seton Hall University School of Law and earned his B.A. cum laude from Rutgers University.