Anthony Hartmann

Anthony A. Hartmann focuses on patent portfolio management and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He also provides client counseling and is active in all aspects of patent litigation in federal district court and before the International Trade Commission (ITC). As a patent prosecutor, litigator, and a former process engineer, Anthony provides a unique skill set to meet clients needs.

As a registered patent attorney, Anthony practices before the USPTO, managing patent portfolios; prosecuting ex parte reexaminations, inter partes reexaminations, and reissue applications; arguing ex parte appeals before the appeals section of the PTAB; and filing and defending inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the trials section of the PTAB.

Anthony’s technical expertise is diverse and includes working with hydrogenation processes, tire composition and manufacturing, diesel particulate filters, polymers (including polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and polyimides) and polymeric systems, optical/electrical cables, solar cell devices, fuel cells, liquid crystal displays, specialty steels, pharmaceuticals, lithium batteries, biofuel manufacturing, lubricants, and exchange resins.

Anthony has extensive client counseling experience, providing clearance, infringement, and validity opinions, as well as conducting due diligence investigations and portfolio reviews. He has represented clients in numerous technology areas, ranging from a leading petrochemical company regarding its metallocene PE technologies, to a variety of established and startup energy companies regarding their renewable biofuel technologies.

Anthony is also involved in all aspects of patent litigation, including coordinating fact and expert discovery; conducting depositions; and briefing discovery, summary judgment, claim construction, and post-trial motions.

His litigation work spans a wide variety of technologies, including m-polyethylene, polyimides, alkaline batteries, jet engines, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other small molecules (including metallocene catalysts), vinyl flooring, medical devices, and battery chargers.

Prior to joining Finnegan, Anthony worked at another patent firm, representing domestic petrochemical companies in litigation and patent interferences, particularly in the field of metallocene chemistry and related polymers.

Before law school, he worked as a process-development engineer with the Eastman Kodak Co., focusing on the scale-up of photographic film manufacturing processes from laboratory to pilot plant to manufacturing. Anthony also earned a professional engineering license from the State of New York.

Anthony devotes a portion of his time to pro bono matters. He has represented several veterans in appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and prisoners in appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is listed on the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll.

Education :

• University of Notre Dame Law School J.D., 1996
• University of Virginia B.S., Chemical Engineering, 1988

Admissions :

• District of Columbia
• Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Veterans Claims
• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Professional Activities :

• Illinois Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Giles S. Rich Inn of Court
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• American Chemical Society
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
• Hispanic National Bar Association