Patent Attorney John Connors devotes his career to the power of innovation. As a speaker and author of Patent It and Grow Rich, his mission is to ensure that organizations and entrepreneurs retain their rights to inventions… and profit from them!

Mr. Connors is admitted to practice in the State and Federal Courts in the States of New York and New Jersey and the District of Columbia. Mr. Connors is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and Georgetown University College of Arts and Science. Prior to joining Connors & Connors in 1984, Mr. Connors was an Assistant District Attorney assigned to the Supreme Court Trial Bureau of the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Mr. Connors is the immediate past President of the Richmond County Bar Association, a Chair of the Executive Committee of the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association, a past chair of the New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Chair, appointed by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, of the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission for the Second Judicial District and a member of the Judicial Screening Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He is a member of the New York, New Jersey, and District of Columbia Bar Associations. He earned both his undergraduate and law degree from Georgetown University.

John is a founding partner at Conard Nelson Schaffer and has built a reputation as a trial lawyer that people rely upon in their most serious matters. Recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in the country, attorney John devotes his practice to defending the rights and liberties of those facing white collar crime accusations and other serious criminal charges. John Conard represents clients throughout the Twin Cities region and across the state who need solid, effective defense strategies in order to fight the charges against them and preserve their freedom. Certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a criminal law specialist, John has successfully handled more than 2,000 cases in state and federal courts throughout the country during the course of his 10-year career. From federal crimes and violent offenses to DUI/DWI charges and relatively minor misdemeanors, John has the experience and resources necessary to handle any criminal case regardless of how complex or challenging.

Senior Partner, Matthew J. Consolo, located in Secrest Wardle's Troy office, is a member of the Commercial and Business Law, Construction, Environmental and Toxic Tort, Intellectual Property / Advertising Injury, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, Product Liability, Trucking / Commercial Vehicle Litigation, Practice Groups.

James B. Conte brings a wealth of success and experience in all facets of commercial litigation, commercial transactions, patent matters, and trademark matters. In the patent, trademark, and copyright space, James represents large and small businesses and individuals on worldwide intellectual property acquisition, transactions, and enforcement. He routinely obtains key patents and trademarks in the United States (US) and internationally. In more detail, in his patent practice, James is an expert in the preparation and filing of United States provisional patent applications to protect ideas in the early stages of product development. He prepares and successfully prosecutes to a grant of patent United States non-provisional patent applications to protect US innovation, international patent applications to provide protection for inventions in foreign countries, and US and foreign design patent applications to protect the look of a products. In his trademark practice, James has extensive experience in acquisition of word and design marks and the obtention of trade dress protection for the look of industrial and consumer products and architecture, including acquisition of trade dress in the look of restaurants. He develops strategies to protect alphanumeric designations that started as part numbers. He also develops local trademark protection in key states in which a client needs to enforce trademark rights. In his Patent litigation practice, James has first- and second-chair federal and state trial court experience. He vigorously defends clients against charges of patent and trademark infringement. He has successfully defended clients against claims asserted by Starbucks, Talking Rain, and H & R Block. On the flipside, he successfully enforces the rights of clients in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, and non-compete matters. James provides counseling in the area of patent and trademark risk assessment, legal management, contracts and regulations and has specialized knowledge obtained as a bank auditor. In connection with his commercial litigation practice, James has litigated breach of contract matters, commercial fraud, breach of warranty, breach of duty of loyalty, and theft of trade secrets.