Paul Sykes represents businesses and individuals in a wide variety of intellectual property and technology-related legal matters. As a member of both the Intellectual Property and Competitive Practices and the Litigation practice groups, Paul counsels clients in the acquisition, licensing and protection of intellectual property rights, and he litigates those rights in the state and federal courts. Paul has been peer-selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® and Mid-South Super Lawyers in Intellectual Property Law. Birmingham Magazine has also listed him as a “Top Attorney” for Intellectual Property.

Paul focuses his practice on patent, copyright, trademark, unfair competition, and trade secret litigation. As a former computer engineer, he understands technology and how to use it for the benefit of the client. As a registered patent attorney, Paul prepares and prosecutes patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He also counsels clients generally in the areas of copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. He previously served as president of the Intellectual Property Section of the Alabama State Bar.

Paul has handled patent infringement matters, for both plaintiffs and defendants, involving technology as diverse as telecommunications equipment, fishing lures, automated teller machines, football pads, wireless networking equipment, muzzle loading firearms, microprocessors, automated bark control collars, injection molding processes, lenticular images, mops and brooms, spun concrete utility poles, and telephony software.

Bar Admissions

• Alabama, 1998

• United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
• United States Patent & Trademark Office
• United States District Court, Middle District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

Education

• University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., 1998, magna cum laude; Chancellor's Scholar
• Auburn University, B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1992, summa cum laude; Vulcan Materials Presidential Honors Scholarship