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(919) 321-6245  |  neal@ti-law.com

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Neal resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Prior to joining the firm on June 30, 2007, Neal was special counsel with Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell & Hickman, LLP, and worked in the Raleigh Office.

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In 1984, Neal achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University.  In 1992, Neal obtained an MBA from Duke University. Neal later attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, achieving his Juris Doctor in 1999. 

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Neal is admitted to the practice of law in North Carolina. Neal further is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Clients range from individual inventors to large corporations.

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Neal focuses on intellectual property matters affecting all aspects of an entity's operations, from formation to the acquisition, creation and commercialization of intellectual property assets. His experience includes obtaining U.S. and foreign trademarks, counseling clients on brand-name protection, drafting and negotiating patent, trademark and technology license agreements, and resolving intellectual property disputes.

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Neal is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law. The specialty of trademark law is the practice of law devoted to commercial symbols, and typically includes the following: advising clients regarding creating and selecting trademarks; conducting and/or analyzing trademark searches; prosecuting trademark applications; enforcing and protecting trademark rights; and counseling clients on matters involving trademarks. Practitioners regularly practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the Trademark Division of the NC Secretary of State’s Office, and the North Carolina and/or federal courts.

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Prior to his legal career, Neal spent fourteen years in product development, management, marketing, and sales in the computer industry. With over thirty years of experience in the information technology industry, he understands the business, operational and legal needs of early stage and startup technology companies as well as the challenges facing clients in bringing new technologies to market. 

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Neal is a frequent speaker on intellectual property issues. He is also a panel attorney for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, handling contractual and airmen certificate matters for member pilots. Please visit the AOPA Legal Services Plan for more information at www.aopa.org/info/certified/lsp/.