McNair announced today the expansion of its Intellectual Property practice group with the addition of three former Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough patent attorneys as shareholders in its Charlotte office.

Chad Thorson, John Johnson and Nathaniel Quirk bring with them years of experience managing patent portfolios for global corporations and hands-on knowledge of the primary high-tech engineering areas – electrical, mechanical, software, and chemistry and material sciences. Three former staffers with whom the group has worked for years have also joined McNair.

“Having all spent time in industry, Chad, John and Nate bring with them a level of familiarity with their clients’ business that not only makes them more efficient, it also makes them true business partners,” said David Tigges, McNair’s managing shareholder and chief executive officer. “They significantly expand our IP capabilities and continue the growth of our Charlotte office. McNair will now have more than a dozen IP lawyers, and we are committed to expanding to become the Southeast’s go-to IP boutique within a mid-size firm.”

“Joining McNair gives us the flexibility to adapt to each individual client’s needs as the firm understands the pressure that in-house counsel face to balance efficiency and high-quality legal work,” Thorson said. “We are thrilled to join the firm and help lead the expansion of its IP group in the Southeast.”

Thorson’s practice focuses on patent procurement and validity and infringement issues in the mechanical, electrical, software and nuclear engineering technology sectors, both in the United States and globally. He received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, with distinction, from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a submarine officer in the Navy before receiving his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Johnson’s practice focuses on intellectual property, including patents and technology law issues in the medical device, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. A former process engineer and chemist, Johnson has experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical patent prosecution group of an AmLaw 50 firm. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology and his J.D. from the St. Louis University School of Law.

Quirk’s practice focuses on intellectual property procurement and enforcement matters, patent and trademark licensing and portfolio management, as well as transactional matters. A licensed engineer, Quirk previously served as the chief IP counsel for a global technology company. He received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida College of Engineering and his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.