E. Eric Mills

1001 College Court
New Bern, North Carolina 28562
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P: 252.672.5428
F: 252.672.5477
eem@wardandsmith.com

Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 867
New Bern, North Carolina
28563-0867

Mr. Mills leads the Firm's Intellectual Property Transactional Practice Group and is a registered patent attorney focusing his practice on all areas of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. A substantial portion of his practice involves the preparation and prosecution of patent and trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and foreign jurisdictions, including an emphasis on Patent Cooperation Treaty protocol. Mr. Mills additionally assists clients regarding patentability and patent infringement issues; counsels clients concerning the selection, use, and enforcement of trademarks; and represents clients in domain name disputes and other Internet issues. He has extensive experience in strategic planning and management of client intellectual property portfolios, including acquisition, maintenance, and licensing of U.S. and foreign patent and trademark assets. Mr. Mills is a licensed professional engineer and currently serves our nation as a Lieutenant Commander (Sel) with the Legal Services Command of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

Practice Groups
Business
Intellectual Property
Technology

Practice Concentration
Business
Copyright
Intellectual Property Transactions
Licensing
Patent
Trade Secrets
Trademark/Service Mark

Admitted to Practice
North Carolina, 2001
United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2001
All state courts in North Carolina
United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

Honors and Distinctions*
"Legal Elite," Business North Carolina, 2004, 2006, 2008-2010

Education

J.D., The University of North Carolina School of Law, 2001. Co-Founder and Managing Editor, North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology; Recipient of ASCAP Nathan Burkan Copyright Competition Award

M.C.E., Civil Engineering (mechanical design), North Carolina State University, 1998

B.S., Civil Engineering, cum laude, North Carolina State University, 1993

B.S., Environmental Engineering, cum laude, North Carolina State University, 1993

Professional and Community Affiliations

American Bar Association — Section: Intellectual Property Law

American Intellectual Property Law Association

Carolina Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Association

North Carolina Bar Association — Section: Intellectual Property Law (secretary, 2009; council member, 2003 - 2009; co-editor, IP Links, 2006-2008)

Publications

Business
Managing Global Patent Portfolios: How Not to be a Crab

Intellectual Property
Guarding Against Infringing Goods in Import Trade

Managing Global Patent Portfolios: How Not to be a Crab