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Thomas M Dunlap

Intellectual property Attorney at Vienna, VA

5.0   11 reviews

also known as Tom Dunlap

  • State Years
    Dist. of Columbia - DC 22 years
    Maryland - MD 23 years
    Virginia - VA 24 years
  • Licensed for 22 years
    State DC
    Acquired 2001
    Status
    Good Standing No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 23 years
    State MD
    Acquired 1999
    Status
    Active No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 24 years
    State VA
    Acquired 1999
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Thomas

Learn Thomas’s areas of practice.

5
Practice areas
  1. Intellectual property
    40%
    Recent Case: Jury verdict, attorneys fees, and punitive damages for more than $31 million for patent infringement large global toy company. Multiple Federal Circuit appellate wins.

    24 years, 200 cases

  2. Government contracts
    25%
    Secret clearence, former US Army officer. JVs, bid protests, REA, ASBCA, teaming agreements, ITAR, export matters, debarment and clearance matters. Buyer & Seller side diligence. Contract lead for firm gov contracts to NIH and HHS.

    24 years, 50 cases

  3. Litigation
    25%
    Jury counterclaim verdict for Erick Prince/ Blackwater of $2.6 million for breach of commercial contract and fraud, appearances before the US Supreme Court and Virginia.

    24 years, 200 cases

  4. Aviation
    5%
    Licensed instrument pilot and certified as a panel attorney for AOPA. Has handled numerous cases involving the FAA. Aircraft transfers and accidents, pilot and part 135 representation. Airplane transactions, disputes, and issues.

    24 years, 100 cases

  5. Entertainment
    5%
    Sundance Film festival panel (2016-2019) and representing studios and artists alike, including Voltage (Hurt Locker) and others. Named top 100 Power Lawyers in Entertainment Law. Represented various filmmakers, producers, artists, and studios.

    24 years, 5,000 cases

Tom’s practice focuses on patent, trademark, trade secret, commercial, entertainment law, business, government contracts disputes, litigation, and transactions. Tom has authored numerous books and appeared on national television and radio, including Fox, Sundance T.V., and NPR, speaking on various subjects in his fields of practice. In addition to the state and federal courts of D.C., VA, and M.D., he is a member of the Federal Courts in Puerto Rico, Colorado, and Texas, as well as the Court of Federal Claims, the Federal Circuit, where he has recently argued and won three appellate matters, the Veteran’s Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court, where he was lead counsel on a False Claims Act case (See United States ex rel. Carter v. Halliburton Co.) and in the T.C. Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (U.S. May 22, 2017) (No. 16-341) case involving jurisdiction in patent infringement cases. Other recent litigation victories where Tom served as lead trial counsel include a $12,317,500 verdict in Zuru v Telebrands et al. (EDTX 2017) (patent infringement) and a $2,600,000 verdict in DPX Gear v Prince et al. (Loudoun Circuit Court 2017) (breach of contract & fraud).Tom has authored and taught numerous classes for the last 20 years to attorneys, law students, and businesses, most recently these include; Copyright Clearance Issues (2018) (internal for AMC Networks), Intellectual Property Essentials (2018) (Virginia CLE), Intellectual Property Issues in Sports and Entertainment Law (2017)(NBI), Reasonable Royalties in Patent Damages (2017)(NBI), and Patent Damages: The Rise of the Footprint Approach (2016) and the revised editions (2013, 2015 and 2017) of the Virginia Lawyer’s Deskbook, Chapter 8 - Intellectual Property (Virginia CLE). 

Tom holds a JD, MBA, and MS in biotechnology, and is a former Army officer (Armor and Cavalry), a former special prosecutor (Loudoun County), has served as co-chair of the ABA’s Copyright CLE subcommittee and is formerly a board member and the past president of the Loudoun County bar association. Tom is also a founder, patent-holder and former CEO and Chairman of Ceres Nanosciences Inc. whose Lyme disease diagnostic test received the FDA’s “Breakthrough Device” designation in July of 2018 () and which has completed more than $20 million in funding since its inception.  As an instrument rated pilot, he also served as a commissioner for the largest executive airport in Virginia (KJYO), the executive feeder airport for Dulles. 

Most recently Tom was again named a SuperLawyer (2012-2014, 2016-2022) for intellectual property (top 5% in DC and Virginia).  Thomas Dunlap named a Washington SmartCEO Centers of Influence Award Honoree.  Tom has also been named a top Virginia lawyer (for litigation).  The firm has for the sixth year in a row been named a “Best Law Firm in Virginia” by Virginia Living and the PCT Global Law 2016 and 2018 Intellectual Property Firm. Outside of his legal practice, Tom is a PADI Master Diver, instrument pilot with high-performance and complex aircraft ratings, a member of MENSA, and participates in marathons and triathlons. 

Education Narrative: I received a BA from Lafayette College (Dean’s List), a Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University (Phi Delta Phi Legal Honors Fraternity) an MS in Biotechnology & MBA from the University of Maryland (Magna Cum Laude). 

Military Narrative: Until resigning in 2009, I was a Captain (Armor & Cavalry) in the Army National Guard, and a graduate of Army OCS having served in various US and overseas locations as a Recon Scout Platoon Leader, and Executive Officer (XO) (A Troop, 1-158th CAV (RECON)), and aide de camp to Division Commanding General, (Major General Wyman, 29th Infantry Division) and as the Commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 116th Infantry (116th BSTB) (includes the military police, NBC and Recon units for the Battalion). 

Community: I serve as an airport commissioner for the Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO, 2008- present) and have served on the boards of the United Way RAC in the National Capital Area and the Loudoun Community Free Clinic.  I presently serve as a Historic District Review Commissioner for Loudoun County, Virginia. I am an alumni representative for Lafayette College and have taught as an adjunct at Washington & Lee University (Intellectual Property) and presently serve on the Washington & Lee Entrepreneurship Advisory Executive Board.

Personal: I am SCUBA certified as a Master diver (with O2 and Nitrox) and have completed the PADI Archeology Diver program through the Maritime Archeological Historical Society (), with whom I dive to assist with the recovery and preservation of historic artifacts as well as deep diver, cave diver and a variety of other PADI certifications.  I have held a Humvee and M1 Tank drivers licenses and I am a former National Silver Medalist in full contact Burmese kickboxing, called Bando (2002). As an original founder and co-patent holder/ inventor on certain diagnostic and research nano-particle technology, I served as the CEO of Ceres Nanosciences, Inc. (2007-2010), a biotechnology company based in Manassas, Virginia, and served as the Chairman of their Board of Directors until 2017 when the company completed its $9 million Series A round ().  I have completed numerous marathons and the Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. I am an avid sailor having crewed for months on the RV Westward (3-masted staysail schooner) as part of a joint research effort by Boston University and NOAA. I am also an experienced pilot and own a Cirrus SR-22 airplane (high performance and complex instrument pilot ratings).  I live with my wife and two children in Loudoun County.

Other Memberships include Rotary International, American MENSA, Freemasons: Olive Branch 114, Scottish Rite Freemasons – Alexandria (32nd), Leesburg Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post 1177), Leesburg American Legion Post, and AOPA. 

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Reviews

5.0 / 5.0
  11 customer reviews
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Posted by DeAnna | February 25, 2015
Highly Recommend!
Working with Tom Dunlap of Dunlap Bennett and Ludwig was a delightful experience. My husband and I needed to do estate planning, but didn't know where to begin. Tom guided us through the process and educated us on the various options and choices we needed to make to address all aspects of our estate planning. He was detail oriented, informative, and answered all our questions in a language we could understand. We would highly recommend Tom; he is knowledgeable, reliable, and trustworthy while still having a sense of humor which made him professionally and personally enjoyable to work with. We were also really impressed with the friendly and helpful support staff at the office in Leesburg, VA.
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Posted by Jonathan | October 10, 2014
Look No Futher
Thanks for the great advice this gentlemen is still a great deal of help today I recommend to anyone in the music industry are with any trademark, copyright, patent concerns or issues definitely the attorney you want to talk to first. I look forward to doing more business in the near future with Thomas Dunlap . Keep up the great work.
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Posted by anonymous | November 19, 2013
Great Consultation!
Tom was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He listened to the issue, reviewed the contract in question and left me with the piece of mind of knowing that the contract worked in my favor. He advised me on how to proceed as well as provided additional legal resources. Received great legal advise and would definitely contact him again.
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Posted by Mason | July 15, 2013
Mr Putbreses was very professional and knowledgeable.
Mr Putbreses was very professional and knowledgeable. For a 30 minutes consultation he quickly and efficiently showed me the options in my employment issue. He was very sharp, effective, and skillful at understanding the complex problems I went through with my former employer.
Posted by Peter | May 31, 2013
I was so impressed with Canyon Law Group!
I was so impressed with Canyon Law Group! I had a telephone appointment that was called on to the minute!! The attorney was Tamara Hudson and she was excellent!!! Very knowledgeable in the area I needed, very personable and professional and a pleasure to deal with. My problem was solved before the call was completed and I am a very happy customer. I would highly recommend Canyon Law Group to anyone needing legal services. Thank You Tamara for all of your help!!!
Read less
Posted by Claude | March 26, 2013
my questions before we talked
I appreciated that Aaron called on time and was prepared with answers to my questions before we talked
Posted by Nick | March 6, 2013
excellent help!
Kevin laid out everything related to our patent questions very clearly and was an excellent help!
Posted by Edward | January 25, 2013
Very thorough and professional.
Very thorough and professional. Took the time to answer all my questions in detail.
Posted by anonymous | January 13, 2011
Excellent Service and Straight Shooter
Tom provided advice on a complex case that we very much wanted to file against another company. His counsel convinced us to approach the case a different way. While the approach was not conventional, it was incredibly effective.
Posted by Mike | January 20, 2010
A rare find
Tom Dunlap is a rare find in the legal profession. He is very knowledgeable, tactful and a very skilled attorney. I know that Tom is in high demand, and I can see why. He made me feel like I was his only client. Dedication, personal attention and an ability to explain the technical issues of law made Tom really shine against other attorney's I've worked with. I cannot recommend Tom Dunlap enough! He truly does great work!
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Posted by anonymous | September 26, 2009
Great lawyer for business disputes
Tom was responsive to my questions and very easy to talk to. Unlike the first lawyer I worked with he handled the dispute without having to file a lawsuit and without three attorneys on the same case. Great work!
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Cost

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Contact for Details

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Managing Partner
  • Dunlap, Grubb & Weaver, PLLC
  • 2002 - Present
  • CEO
  • Ceres Nanosciences, Inc.
  • 2007 - 2011
  • Special Prosecutor
  • Loudoun County
  • 2005 - 2005

Education

  • University of Maryland
  • MBA
  • 2012
  • University of Maryland
  • Master of Science
  • 2010
  • Washington and Lee University School of Law
  • Juris Doctor
  • 1999
  • Lafayette College
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 1994
View all education

Legal Cases

  • Tinnus Enters., LLC v. Telebrands Corp.
  • Prevailed in a multi-day jury trial in the Eastern District of Texas Federal Court obtaining a $12.3 million verdict.
  • Swimways Corp. v. Zuru, Inc., No. 2:13CV334, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98092 (E.D. Va. July 18, 2014)
  • Judge Davis of the Norfolk Division of the EDVA found, as a matter of law, that a patent was either anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art. Summary judgement for the Defendant (our client) Zuru, LLC invalidating the patent.
  • United States ex rel Carter v. Halliburton Co
  • The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a qui tam action that the district court held was barred by the statute of limitations and the first-to-file bar under the False Claims Act (“FCA”).
View all legal cases

Associations

  • Leesburg Executive Airport
  • Commissioner
  • 2008 - Present
  • Maryland State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section, Membership Committee
  • Board Member
  • 2007 - Present
  • Airline Owners & Pilots Association
  • Panel Attorney
  • 2004 - Present
  • American MENSA
  • 1998 - Present
  • Loudoun Community Free Clinic
  • Vice Chair/ Board Member
  • 2005 - 2014
  • Loudon County Bar Association
  • President
  • 2004 - 2005
  • Loudoun County Bar Association, Board
  • Board Member
  • 2003 - 2006
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • French

Honors and Awards

  • Member
  • Who's Who In American Law
  • 2011
  • SuperLawyer
  • Law & Politics Magazine
  • 2011
  • Top 100 Power Lawyers in Entertainment
  • Hollywood Reporter
  • 2010
  • SuperLawyers
  • Law & Politics Magazine
  • 2009
  • SuperLawyers
  • Law & Politics Magazine
  • 2008
View all awards

Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Loudoun SBDC Business Conference
  • Intellectual Property for Small Business
  • 2010
  • Washington & Lee
  • Intellectual Property Basics
  • 2010
  • VA CLE - Speaking Objections
  • Speaking Objections
  • 2009
  • International Conference on Electronic Evidence
  • Electronic Evidence in US Federal Courts
  • 2008
  • National Notary Conference Los Angeles
  • Electronic Signatures and Federal Law Esign and UETA
  • 2007
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (12)
Given (10)
Endorse Thomas
Intellectual property Attorney | Dec 14
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"Tom Dunlap is a dynamic lawyer and individual with a first-rate command of intellectual property law and litigation strategy. He is a natural leader, capable of handling any matter placed in his hands."
Intellectual property Attorney | Sep 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Tom is an extremely knowledgeable and dedicated lawyer whose expertise and attention to detail set him apart, particularly in the areas of intellectual property and civil litigation. I had the privilege of working for Tom years ago and fully endorse him as an attorney. He is truly focused on producing favorable results for his clients."
Patent infringement Attorney | Jun 01
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"Tom is a sharp, assertive litigator who can be depended upon to pursue the client's goals diligently, accurately and efficiently. He has the ability to get right to the relevant issues on a wide range of subject areas. It is always a pleasure to work with Tom on patent cases and I would highly recommend him to represent you or your company on any complex and/or challenging civil litigation matters"
Intellectual property Attorney | Oct 13
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Dunlap is an outstanding attorney whom I had the privilege of working with years ago. He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced particularly in intellectual property law. I completely agree that he is truly a rare find."
Intellectual property Attorney | Apr 05
Relationship: Co-worker
"Tom is a skilled attorney with expertise in a wide variety of practice areas, without sacrificing the depth of knowledge of a specialist. Equally at home a boardroom or a courtroom, Tom is consistently able to help his clients achieve their goals in an efficient and effective manner."
Litigation Attorney | Jan 23
Relationship: Co-worker
"I highly endorse this attorney. Without question, Tom is one of the most talented and skilled lawyers I know. He is highly experienced in all aspects of complex litigation and has a long track record of achieving very favorable results for clients."
Litigation Attorney | Feb 03
Relationship: Co-worker
"Tom is an intelligent, seasoned attorney who uses years of practical experience to his advantage. He is results-oriented and is always focused on producing favorable outcomes for his clients in the most efficient way possible."
Intellectual property Attorney | Jan 21
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"Attorney Dunlap is one of the most talented, ethical and efficient attorneys I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His expertise in intellectual property matters is only rivaled by extremely professional and collegial demeanor, and it is obvious in interacting with him that his clients’ best interests are always his top priority. I regularly refer business to Tom, and would encourage anyone else who needs to refer a client to a skilled intellectual property practitioner to do the same."
Litigation Attorney | Jan 20
Relationship: Supervised lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer's work. Tom is a fantastic litigator and obtains excellent results for his clients. His ability to work efficiently and think outside the box is tremendous, and it is a privilege to practice law with him. His clients are very pleased with the results he is able to obtain for him."
Litigation Attorney | Jan 20
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I fully endorse this lawyer's work."
Litigation Attorney | Sep 24
Relationship: Co-worker
"Tom is a well respected member the legal community. In addition to his vast knowledge of the law, he is a tireless worker that always keeps his clients' best interest in mind. I highly recommend him to any person or business who needs the assistance of a highly qualified and competent attorney."
Bankruptcy and debt Attorney | Feb 13
Relationship: Co-worker
"Tom is skilled in a wide variety of practice areas, including bankruptcy and complex trusts and estates work. I recommend him highly."
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Employment and labor
Litigation
Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy and debt
Copyright infringement
Litigation
Contracts and agreements
Litigation