Craig McLaughlin

Craig McLaughlin helps inventors and businesses protect innovation through strategic patent preparation and prosecution. A registered patent attorney with a background in biology, Craig brings nearly three decades of legal experience to developing patent rights that align with a client’s products, competitive position, and broader business objectives.

Craig’s extensive patent litigation and post-grant experience provides a valuable perspective on prosecution. He has seen how claim language, specification drafting, and statements made during examination are later analyzed in infringement litigation, reexamination proceedings, and appeals. He applies that experience during prosecution to identify potential weaknesses early, develop a clear and defensible record, and pursue claims that provide commercially meaningful protection.

Craig has worked with technologies involving medical devices, lighting systems, computer hardware, consumer products, mechanical designs, and remote-controlled devices. His scientific training and experience handling both utility and design patents allow him to understand complex inventions while remaining focused on the practical question of how patent protection will serve the client in the marketplace.

In addition to his prosecution work, Craig has substantial experience enforcing and defending patents in courts across the country. He has represented patent owners in USPTO proceedings and successfully defended a favorable claim construction before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This experience gives him particular insight into the importance of careful claim terminology and a well-developed intrinsic record.

Craig earned his B.A. in Biology from California State University, Fullerton, and his J.D. from Whittier Law School, where he served on the Trial Advocacy Honors Board. He is admitted to practice before the USPTO, the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.