David G. Hanson leads the firm's Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation Practice Group and is a shareholder in Reinhart's Litigation Practice. Dave is an experienced first-chair IP litigator who also works closely with business clients on intellectual property and competition issues, protecting and promoting his clients in competitive national and international markets. Dave has litigated patent cases throughout the country, including Delaware, Massachusetts, Texas, and California, but he is particularly at home in the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the "Rocket Docket" of the Western District of Wisconsin.

According to Chambers USA, IP litigation clients and peers praise Dave as "intelligent, straightforward, thoughtful and businesslike," and Chambers rates him in Band 1, the top tier of Wisconsin "Leading Individuals" in IP litigation.

In his second decade of patent, trademark and copyright trial practice, Dave serves a wide range of business clients including electrical and mechanical manufacturers, biotech companies, software developers, service firms and product distributors. In addition to working with companies competing in U.S. markets, he is an experienced and creative advisor of companies doing significant business abroad and of foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries. Dave has served as an arbitrator on IP disputes through the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and as an expert witness on issues related to attorney fees in IP litigation. 

Dave's team recently won summary judgment for the defense in a patent false marketing suit: Heathcote Holdings v. Walthers (N.D. Ill., Bucklo, J.)

Since 1997, Dave has been an adjunct professor of law at the Marquette University Law School, teaching copyright litigation and trademark litigation for several years and recently teaching the upper level Intellectual Property Litigation Workshop, which focuses on patent litigation. He also frequently speaks to business and professional audiences on practical intellectual property topics including:

• What every inventor must know about patent litigation
• IP rights in China
• Architectural copyright:  The problem of plan stealing
• IP litigation in the 21st century
• Taking and defending the inventor's deposition

In addition, Dave has frequently been recruited by his peers to give the IP Year in Review speech at the Wisconsin State Bar Convention.                         

Representative Matters and Experience

• Experienced in patent litigation jury trials in the "Rocket Docket" of the Western District of Wisconsin
• Key member of his clients' strategy teams, helping them to plan competitive strategy
• Advises on trade secrets, nondisclosure and false advertising