Melissa Pendleton (Director)

Melissa Pendleton counsels clients on a wide range of domestic and international intellectual property issues, including patent drafting and prosecution; patentability, infringement, validity and freedom to operate opinions; portfolio management; due diligence; and general client counseling and strategic planning. Ms. Pendleton also counsels clients with respect to trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights.

Ms. Pendleton has experience in various technical disciplines, including polymers, composite materials, semiconductor materials, chemical processing and synthesis, cosmetics, textiles, fibers, films, nonwoven fabrics, biotechnology, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and medical diagnostics and therapies.

Ms. Pendleton has counseled large corporations, mid-sized companies, and small startups. She has also counseled universities and research institutions located in the United States and abroad, including member institutions of the North Carolina and Georgia university systems, as well as universities and non-profit research organizations in the United Kingdom and Canada.

From 1990–1997, Ms. Pendleton served as an associate and partner with Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson. Following Alston & Bird’s 1997 acquisition of Bell Seltzer, Ms. Pendleton led Alston & Bird’s Chemical and Pharmaceutical Patent Solicitation Group and served as a member of Alston & Bird’s Life Science Management Team.

Email: mpendleton@summalaw.com

Admitted:
1992, Registered Patent Attorney
1990, North Carolina

Education:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 1990)
North Carolina State University (B.A. Chemistry, summa cum laude, 1987)

Association Involvement:
North Carolina Bar Association (Intellectual Property Law Section, past board member and committee chairperson)
Carolina Patent Trademark and Copyright Law Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association

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