​

(704) 248-6292  |  chad@ti-law.com

​

Chad achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Yale University after only three years.  Graduating in 1991, Chad returned to his home state of North Carolina to attend law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as an Articles Editor for a law journal.

 

Achieving a Juris Doctorate in law with Honors in 1994, Chad was admitted to the practice of law in North Carolina on August 26, 1994.  Chad further became registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office on October 25, 1994.

​

Following law school, Chad returned to his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, to begin his professional career as a patent attorney with the well known and widely respected intellectual property boutique of Shefte, Pinckney & Sawyer, LLP. In 1997, the general practice firm of Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell, & Hickman, LLP, acquired Shefte Pinckney.  Chad continued on with Kennedy Covington helping to establish the firm's first ever intellectual property group. In October of 2001, the Atlanta-based firm of Morris Manning & Martin, LLP, recruited him to join with two other Charlotte attorneys in opening a new Charlotte office.

 

Chad branched out on his own to establish Tillman Law Office in April 2004.  A short time thereafter, John Ivsan, who also was previously with Morris Manning, joined with Chad to form the law firm of Tillman Ivsan.  The firm changed its name to Tillman Wright, PLLC on January 1, 2006, upon Jim Wright joining the firm. Following Neal Wolgin joining, the firm later assumed the name Tillman, Wright & Wolgin.

​

Chad concentrates on patent preparation and prosecution for innovations relating to the electrical and mechanical arts, including software, hardware, networking, consumer products, textiles, and manufacturing. Clients range from individual inventors to large corporations.

​

A native Charlottean, Chad represents clients in intellectual property matters with a particular emphasis on complex patent application prosecution and litigation, including both domestic and international matters.

​

Chad also counsels clients in strategic intellectual property planning and opinion work, including product and service clearance with regard to the intellectual property of competitors.