John C. Nipp
Honors
- North Carolina Super Lawyers® (2012-Present)
- Business North Carolina Legal Elite Hall of Fame for Intellectual Property (2017)
- The Best Lawyers in America® (2024-Present)
Admitted
- 1996, North Carolina
- 2008, United States Patent & Trademark Office
- State and Federal District Courts (North Carolina)
- Education
- University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D. with honors, 1996)
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (M.S. Computer Science, 2007)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A. Economics/Political Science, 1993) Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society
Association Involvement
- North Carolina Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section, Member
- William H. Bobbitt Inn of Court, President 2004-06
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Treasurer 2011-12 Term
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Board of Directors, 2009-11
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Young Lawyers Section, President 2005-06
- Mecklenburg County Bar Law Day Committee, Co-chair 2006-08
- Mecklenburg County Bar Sports/Social Committee, Co-chair 2008-10
- Bar Leadership Institute, Graduate 2003, Planning Committee 2004
- North Carolina Bar Association Litigation Section, Past Member
- North Carolina Bar Association, Technology Advisory Committee, Past Member
John Nipp has been recognized as a leading attorney in the Super Lawyers® publication every year since 2012. He was also voted by his peers to Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame for intellectual property. He was recognized in the 2024 and 2025 editions of Best Lawyers in America®. He is listed in World Trademark Review’s WTR100. John represents clients on a variety of intellectual property matters, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair trade practices, trade secrets, and non-compete agreements. He is a registered patent attorney.
John began litigating cases in 1996 as a state prosecutor, where he tried hundreds of bench trials and several jury trials. After moving to private practice in Charlotte, he served as lead counsel in many civil matters.
In addition to experience trying cases to a jury verdict, John has experience drafting contracts, license agreements and other legal documents for technology companies. He has also participated in numerous mediations and arbitrations.
Listed below are a few examples of matters he has handled:
- Represented a major sports organization in a trademark infringement and cyberpiracy (cybersquatting) lawsuit
- Defended online business against patent infringement action and obtained a favorable settlement
- Defended local business against claim of unauthorized interception of satellite broadcast signal and obtained dismissal of all claims by the federal court
- Brought federal trademark infringement lawsuit on behalf of local business owner resulting in favorable settlement
- Represented employers and employees involved in disputes over covenants not to compete (noncompete agreements)
- Litigated contractual disputes involving information technology consultants
- Defended a leading faucet manufacturer in a products liability lawsuit
- Litigated cases involving the Uniform Commercial Code and financial regulations
- Represented professionals before the North Carolina Medical Board, North Carolina Board of Nursing, and North Carolina Private Protective Services Board
- Assisted corporations with seeking civil remedies for embezzled funds
John has lectured at Continuing Legal Education seminars about patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and the Rules of Civil Procedure.
John volunteered for many years as a youth sports coach at the Harris Y in Charlotte.
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