Mr Thomas Makin > Shearman & Sterling LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Mr Thomas Makin

Work Department

Litigation

Position

Partner

Career

Tom Makin is a partner in Shearman & Sterling’s Litigation group, and is based in New York.  Tom focuses on intellectual property litigation, in federal and state court, in arbitration, and before the International Trade Commission.  He participates in post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and counsels clients regarding substantive patent law, patent valuation and licensing issues.

Tom represents plaintiffs and defendants across a wide range of technologies: vehicular safety, propulsion, infotainment, and control systems; semiconductor circuitry, fabrication, and packaging; lighting systems; rechargeable battery systems; fintech software; monoclonal antibodies; and medical devices.

In his most recent trial, Tom was lead counsel to Nichia Corporation in a three-patent ITC Investigation.  After a week-long hearing, in which Tom directed Respondents’ main technical witness and cross-examined Complainants’ expert, the ALJ—and, ultimately, the Commission—found all patent claims not infringed, not supportive of a technical domestic industry and/or invalid.

He has been recognized in a number of legal publications, including The Legal 500 and IAM Patent 1000.  IAM Patent 1000 has noted that Tom is “[s]omeone you can trust” who “gives sage advice that helps direct smarter future decision making.”  “His knowledge of case law is something to behold and he has a great imagination, always willing to look at things in different ways and come up with new ideas.”  He “builds persuasive stories around his theories.”

Tom’s clients have included: Nichia Corporation, Genmab A/S, Volkswagen, DENSO Corporation, SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc., and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Memberships

• New York

Courts

• United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Education