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  • ATTORNEYS
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    • BRANDEE N. WOOLARD
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SERVING CLIENTS WORLDWIDE
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BIOGRAPHY

Headshot of Attorney Will Pagán
WGPawards

PRIMARY PRACTICE AREAS

  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Copyrights
  • Litigation
  • Contracts
  • Privacy
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersquatting

EXAMPLE TECHNOLOGIES

  • Telecommunications
  • Computers
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Software
  • Amplifiers
  • Semiconductor Packaging
  • Systems & Power Management
  • Media Codecs
  • Operating Systems
  • Virtualization
  • Encryption & Data Integrity
  • Smart Lighting & Home Automation
  • Optical Waveguides
  • Medical Devices & Systems
  • Industrial Machines
  • Aerospace Technologies

WILLIAM G. PAGÁN

Member
wpagan@coatsandbennett.com | 919-854-1844

William G. Pagán is an award-winning patent attorney, a member of the NC State University Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame, an IBM Master Inventor named on over 130 U.S. patent applications, and an Adjunct Contracts Professor at NC Central University School of Law, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) from the evening program as co-valedictorian.

Will primarily assists clients with legal issues that require a deep understanding of information technology. He helps creators obtain patents, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as asserts or defends against claims of patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. He helps clients resolve contract disputes, facilitates B2B transactions, supports litigation, and helps clients with their data privacy concerns as a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US). In his transactional practice, he drafts and helps enforce a variety of business contracts include, e.g., website privacy policies, software development agreements, terms of service agreements, source code licenses, end user licensing agreements, intellectual property assignments, and other contracts.

Nationally-recognized as a Luminary in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines at the Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Conference, Will's law practice is informed by 14 years of engineering experience at IBM, including over a decade developing software for IBM's server development business. His work on Intel-based Thurley server platforms earned him IBM's Outstanding Technical Achievement Award. He also served in IBM’s IP Licensing and Assignments organization where he researched, investigated, and produced proofs of potential patent infringement.

SELECTED HONORS

  • LEGAL
    • The Best Lawyers in America: Intellectual Property Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2024, 2025
    • NC Rising Star: Intellectual Property, Super Lawyers, 2019-2024
    • Major General Dwight H Wheless Legal Officer of the Year, Civil Air Patrol: United States Air Force Auxiliary
      • North Carolina Wing, 2019, 2020
      • Mid-Atlantic Region (incl. DE, MD, DC, NC, SC, VA, WV), 2019
    • NC Pro Bono Honor Society, North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, 2017-2020
    • Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement, North Carolina Bar Association IP Law Section, 2019
    • Leaders in the Law, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2016, 2018
  • ENGINEERING
    • 37 Invention Plateau Awards, IBM, 2005-2012
    • Master Inventor, IBM Corporate Headquarters / Office of the CIO, 2011
    • Research Triangle Park Inventor of the Year, IBM, 2010
    • Outstanding Technical Achievement: Intel Thurley Server Platform Integration, IBM, 2007
    • Master Inventor, IBM Systems & Technology Group, 2006
    • Role Model of the Week, Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Conference, 2008
    • Luminary Award, Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Conference, 2007
    • Star Award, Distributed Management Task Force, 2007
  • CIVIC
    • Wing Commander’s Commendation, Civil Air Patrol: United States Air Force Auxiliary, 2016, 2017, 2021
    • Crisis Service Award, Civil Air Patrol: United States Air Force Auxiliary, 2020
    • Meritorious Service Award, Civil Air Patrol: United States Air Force Auxiliary, 2019
    • Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, United States Air Force, 2018

EXAMPLE PATENT WORK PRODUCT

  • U.S. Patent No. 11,959,746: Active Centering Control of a Gyroscope
  • U.S. Patent No. 11,287,325: Electrically Controlling the Field of View of a Passive Infrared Sensor
  • U.S. Patent No. 11,052,205: Devices and Methods for Delivering Fluid to a Nasal Cavity
  • U.S. Patent No. 10,720,379: Robust Integrated Circuit Package
  • U.S. Patent No. 9,864,568: Sound Generation for Monitoring User Interfaces
  • U.S. Patent No. 9,189,218: Processing Packets by Generating Machine Code from Pre-Compiled Code Fragments

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

  • Negotiated a dismissal of all counterclaims against client in a consumer electronics patent infringement case.
  • Served as local counsel in a variety of patent infringement lawsuits, including an ANDA pharmaceutical case, a BPCIA biologics case, and an agricultural chemical case.
  • Defended against, or negotiated settlements in response to, numerous demand letters alleging copyright infringement.
  • Defended website owners against alleged Meta Pixel privacy violations.
  • Drafted, enforced, and settled claims for breach of contracts.
  • Resolved a contract dispute between a franchisor and franchisee to client's satisfaction.
  • Negotiated resolution to an unfair and deceptive trade practices issue between local competing businesses.
  • Appealed subject matter ineligibility and obviousness decisions made by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board under 35 U.S.C. § 101 and § 103 to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

EDUCATION

  • North Carolina Central University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina
    • Juris Doctor, Summa Cum Laude
    • Evening Program Valedictorian
    • Top Forty Under Forty Alumni Award
  • North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
    • Master of Computer Science
    • Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame
  • Pace University, New York, New York
    • B.S., Computer Science
  • Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York
    • Advanced Regents Diploma, Biology Concentration

JOB HISTORY

  • Coats & Bennett, PLLC
    • Member, 2019-Present
    • Senior Associate Attorney, 2018
    • Associate Attorney, 2014-2017
    • Patent Agent, 2013-2014
  • North Carolina Central University School of Law
    • Adjunct Professor, Contracts, Evening Program, 2023-Present
  • IBM
    • Patent Engineer/Analyst, IP Licensing & Assignments, Corporate Headquarters, 2011-2013
    • Master Inventor, Corporate Headquarters / Office of the CIO, 2011-2013
    • Master Inventor, Systems & Technology Group, 2006-2013
    • Software Engineer, System x Server Development, Systems & Technology Group, 1999-2011

PRO BONO & VOLUNTEER ROLES

  • Hispanic National Bar Association
    • Region VI Deputy Regional President, 2022-2024
  • North Carolina Central University School of Law, Board of Visitors
    • Chair, 2023-2024
    • Vice Chair, 2022-2023
    • Member at Large, 2020-2022
  • Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Auxiliary
    • NCWG Diversity Officer, 2019-2022
    • NCWG Legal Officer, 2017-2021
    • NCWG Assistant Legal Officer, 2015-2017, 2021-2022
  • Innocence Project
    • Case Manager, 2011-2012
    • Researcher, 2010-2011

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

  • Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), Deputy Regional President, Region VI
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US)
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Life Member
  • North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals (NCSHP), Life Member
  • Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois, Member
  • Federal Aviation Administration, Private Pilot - Single Engine Land

SELECTED MEDIA/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • Panelist, Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), Privacy and the Cost of Invisibility of the Global Majority, 2024 Law & Technology Summit, NCCU Technology & Law Policy Center, October 2024
  • Speaker, Impact of the Proliferation of AI on Prior Art and PHOSITA, USPTO Listening Session, United States Patent and Trademark Office, July 25, 2024
  • Panelist, The Impact of Data Privacy & Security on Society and the Practice of Law, Annual HBCU IP & Tech Law Summit, Institute for Intellectual Property & Social Justice, February 2024
  • Special Guest, Ty Cohen & Caroline Treanor (Hosts), The Money Morning Meetup, Oct. 25, 2023
  • Special Guest, Thomas Clifton (Host), The Talented Tenth Podcast, Oct. 3, 2023
  • Panelist, The Patent Implications of Generative AI, 2023 Law and Technology Summit, NCCU Technology & Policy Law Center, October 2023
  • Guest Lecturer, Inventions and Innovations Class, Henrico County Public Schools, VA, January 2022
  • Guest Lecturer, Subject Matter Eligibility (Abstract Ideas), Patent Law Course, University of North Carolina School of Law, Fall 2020
  • Keynote Speaker, NC State Computer Science Diploma Ceremony, Fall 2018
  • Lecturer, Intellectual Property: Securing a Competitive Advantage in the Marketplace, North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals, 2017
  • Special Guest, Cup of Technology, WCOM-LP 103.5 FM, 2017
  • CLE Teacher, Patent Subject Matter Eligibility: Arguing Against Abstract Idea Rejections, The Knowledge Group, 2016
  • Panelist, IP Law Panel Discussion, NCCU School of Law, 2015
  • Featured Alum, Taking Flight: Meet William Pagán, NCCU, 2014
  • Speaker, Valedictory Address, NCCU School of Law Commencement Ceremony, Spring 2014
  • Featured Lecturer, Effective Leadership of Invention Brainstorming, IBM, 2011 to 2013
  • Featured Lecturer, Being a Successful Inventor: Practical Advice for All Levels of Inventors, IBM, 2007 to 2013
  • Featured Lecturer, Efficiently Writing Effective Patent Disclosures, IBM, 2007 to 2013
  • Lecturer, Getting Agile in the Real World: Best Practice Adoption in Complex Environments, IBM Webcast, 2010
  • Lecturer, Key Leadership and Advancement Behaviors, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Region VII Conference, 2009
  • Lecturer, Best Practices in Standards Participation, IBM, 2008
  • Host, Leadership in the Management and Technical Executive Tracks, Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Conference, 2007
  • Booth Presenter, IBM Systems Management Technologies and Importance of Interoperability Standards, Microsoft Management Summit, 2006
  • Presenter, SMASH Forum Overview and SMASH CLP Validation, DMTF Management Developers Conference, 2006
  • Presenter, Eliminating Systems Management Device Drivers via Enhanced Serial Port Architecture, IBM Tech Connect, 2004

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • State of North Carolina
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

BLOG POSTS

William G. Pagán Elected Chair of NC Central University School of Law Board of Visitors

COATS & BENNETT, PLLC April 19, 2023
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Fed. Cir. Rules Motivation to Combine Standard Requires No Actual “Motivation”

WILLIAM PAGÁN March 14, 2023
Read More »

Hispanic National Bar Association Appoints William G. Pagán as Deputy Regional President

COATS & BENNETT, PLLC December 8, 2022
Read More »

Member William G. Pagán Named IP “Rising Star” Five Years Running

COATS & BENNETT, PLLC November 11, 2022
Read More »

C&B Welcomes Attorney Deirdre Beasley

COATS & BENNETT, PLLC July 7, 2022
Read More »

Verdict Reached in Depp v. Heard Defamation Trial

WILLIAM PAGÁN June 1, 2022
Read More »

Member William G. Pagán Named Vice-Chair of NC Central University School of Law Board of Visitors

COATS & BENNETT, PLLC May 20, 2022
Read More »

Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” Doesn’t Infringe on Unoriginal Aspects of Christian Rap “Joyful Noise”

WILLIAM PAGÁN March 25, 2022
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Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” Probably Not Copied From Artikal Sound System

WILLIAM PAGÁN March 11, 2022
Read More »

Member William G. Pagán Supports Henrico County Public Schools

WILLIAM PAGÁN February 16, 2022
Read More »
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