Co-head of the firm’s intellectual property practice, John Gary has 30 years of experience with broad-based intellectual property matters and software litigation, counseling the world’s leading companies on protecting their brands. Numerous ranking and other publications recognize him as an industry leader, including Chambers, Legal 500, and Best Lawyers. Clients have told Chambers that he “provides a very strong service” (2023) and Legal 500 that he is “always informative, helpful, and clear” (2023). World Trademark Review 1000 calls him a ”well-rounded practitioner who is equally brilliant across the contentious/non-contentious divide” (2024), notes that he “knows how to get things done” (2023), and has said he exhibits “keen awareness of the evolving social media scene and the issues it presents for innovative brand owners” (2022).

John Gary particularly focuses his IP practice on brand protection; software audits and disputes; online enforcement, including domain name counseling and litigation under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP); trade secret protection; IP asset licensing; and litigation under the Lanham Act and the Copyright Act.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, Stetson University College of Law, cum laude, 1994

BA, Davidson College, 1990

• Trademarks/Brand Protection: Represented numerous clients in trademark disputes, including trials in federal courts, injunction hearings, mediations, and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Participates in the creation, implementation, and enforcement of brand strategy. Provides advice regarding trademark portfolios and trademark management, including prosecution of trademark applications for registration with the US Patent & Trademark Office and elsewhere. Representative clients have included major grocer, do-it-yourself lawn company, franchisors, major airlines, consumer goods manufacturers and distributors, and banking and financial institutions. 
• False Advertising: Represented clients in false advertising disputes, including trials in federal courts, and injunctive hearings and mediation. Provides advice to clients regarding advertising materials and propriety of advertising claims under the Lanham Act, FTC regulations, "Little FTC Acts" and the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Have written advertising manuals/guidelines for clients. Representative clients have included major retail chains, manufacturers and marketers of lawn and garden products, consumer goods manufacturers and distributors, and banking and financial institutions. 
• Copyright Protection and Enforcement: Represented numerous clients in the prosecution and enforcement of copyrights, including at trial in federal courts, injunctive hearings and mediation. Copyright clients have included major retail chains, advertising agencies, financial and banking institutions, and major airlines. 
• Trade Secrets Litigation: Handled several trade secrets litigation matters (often including allegations of breach of confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements), including successful summary judgment proceedings and handling of fast-track, complex cases involving requests for preliminary and permanent injunctive relief. 
• Pro Bono Representation: Handled prosecution and defense of several pro bono lawsuits and ADR proceedings. Have performed at least 100 hours of pro bono work per year for the past 11 years.

• Member, The International Trademark Association (INTA)

• Adventures in Software Audits, Part Two: How Business Context Affects the Bottom Line, Security Boulevard
• Preparing for Software License Audits, Bloomberg Law
• Five Reasons Why You Should be Monitoring These Four Artificial Intelligence Cases, LegalTech News
• Key Readiness Tactics for a Software Audit, Part One: Software Audit Steps and Management, American Bar Association’s Business Law Today
• Adventures in Software Audits, Part One: How Software License Terms Drive Audit Resolution, Security Boulevard
• 2016 Eastern District of Virginia Intellectual Property Year in Review
• 2015 Eastern District of Virginia Intellectual Property Year in Review
• 2012 Eastern District of Virginia Intellectual Property Year In Review
• Trump’s Trademark Registrations Reveal Breadth of His Brand Strategy, BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal
• Adventures in Software Audits, Part Three: The Paradigm Battle, Security Boulevard
• Pitfalls Of Attorney AI Use In Brief Prep Has Judges On Alert, Law360
• 2014 Eastern District of Virginia Intellectual Property Year In Review
• Key Readiness Tactics for a Software Audit, Part Two: Contractual Strategies to Mitigate Risk, Business Law Today
• Hunton AI and Emerging Technologies 2023 Year in Review
• 2019 Retail Industry Year in Review
• Hunton AI and Emerging Technologies Newsletter - Fall 2023