John B. Hardaway, III

John’s career in IP law began as a Patent Examiner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The date coincided with the first lunar landing, aptly anticipating the launching of his future practice into the global arena. Today, his clientele base extends to many countries around the world.  An extensive, ongoing travel schedule helps maintain his contact with clients, a network of foreign associates, and multiple international professional associations. 

John is well versed in the newly adopted procedures of the U.S. legislation and keeps abreast of the regulations in foreign IP law, particularly changes to the laws in Japan, China, India and the countries of the European Union. 

Community & Professional

John continues to devote many hours annually to the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Intellectual (FICPI), as he has done for more than twenty-five years. He is currently on the Board of Directors for FICPI and has served as its US chair. 

Offering active support to the YMCA has been one of John’s foremost interests for many years. He is currently serving on the developmental board of the Greater Greenville Metropolitan YMCA, has been chairman of the Technology Education Committee for the Rotary Club of Greenville for ten years, and has chaired the Rotary International Youth Exchange. John is also a former chairman and currently serves on the board of Japan America Association.

Outside Maynard Nexsen

John always enjoys a round of golf, and he regularly plays with colleagues and foreign associates in the FOG Tournament preceding the annual INTA meeting. Japan is his favorite venue for golf, especially the courses near Mount Fuji. 

John has been ranked among the Best Lawyers in America for the last eleven years, and he was named one of the Legal Elite of 2012 by Greenville Business Magazine. He is also cited for his international practice in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP STARS 2013 through 2015. 

• Recognized by TALK Greenville Magazine, Top Lawyers, 2023
• "Legal Elite of the Upstate" - Intellectual Property Law
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Intellectual Property, Since 2010
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Copyright Law, Patent Law, and Trademark Law, 2024
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America for "Lawyer of the Year" in Copyright Law in Greenville, S.C., in 2014 

John is a long-standing member of the IP Practice in Japan Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and has served for two years as its chair. He also contributes regularly to the International Trademark Association, currently as editor of the State Trademark Law, a publication for the state of South Carolina. John has chaired and moderated sessions for INTA, FICPI and AIPLA, both in the US and abroad. He has recently spoken in South Carolina on the topic of E-Discovery in Federal Cases and is an author of Obtaining Electronic Data, both on behalf of the National Business Institute.