John S. Holley

John Holley is a Principal in McKool Smith’s Washington, D.C. office. He focuses on patent infringement litigation in the federal district courts and the International Trade Commission. John’s extensive courtroom experience has afforded him substantial responsibilities, including arguing at Markman hearings and cross-examining numerous expert and fact witnesses at trial.

John also leverages his technical expertise and deep litigation experience to provide strategic analysis crucial to bringing successful results to clients from the due diligence phase of a matter through trial and post-trial appeals. He has handled cases in a wide array of technologies, including software, display devices, telecommunications (including optical networking, 3G, 4G LTE, and ATSC-M/H), printer technologies, semiconductor devices, encryption, and medical devices.

John has been listed as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers from 2017 to the present, and Law360 recognized him as a “Legal Lion” for his work related to smartphone patents. 

Beyond his deep background in litigation, Mr. Holley also serves as an independent evaluator for various patent pools. In addition, he has experience prosecuting patent applications and handling reexamination proceedings before the USPTO. Before practicing law, John received extensive experience as an electrical engineer at a large defense contractor working on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine.

• Recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star, Washington DC region (2018-2022)