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OUR FIRM
ABOUT DORTON & WILLIS
Dorton & Willis, LLP is a Cincinnati-based intellectual property law firm founded by David Dorton and Ryan Willis, two nationally recognized attorneys with over 20 years of experience in U.S. and international IP law. We provide tailored, strategic counsel to clients ranging from mid-market companies to global enterprises seeking to protect and maximize the value of their innovations.
Our team brings both legal depth and technical fluency across industries—from medical and mechanical technologies, to software and consumer products.
As a boutique firm, we offer the responsiveness and flexibility of a small practice with the sophisticated expertise of a larger firm. From USPTO filings to international portfolio management, our focus is always on securing and leveraging your intellectual property with clarity, purpose, and long-term vision.
FOUNDING PARTNERS
DAVID DORTON
MANAGING PARTNER
David’s areas of expertise include patent prosecution, client counseling, and licensing, with a focus on mechanical technologies. He has represented clients across a broad range of industries—from packaging, manufacturing, and dispensing systems to HVAC, sensing equipment, medical and veterinary devices, automotive, robotics, toys, clothing, musical instruments, and more.
Before co-founding Dorton & Willis, David spent 18 years at a leading intellectual property firm in Cincinnati. Earlier, he worked as a product engineer specializing in noise and vibration control, particularly in the design of elastomeric vibration isolators. He has been an adjunct professor at Salmon P. Chase Law School, teaching patent law to future intellectual property lawyers.
David lives in Mason, Ohio, with his wife Kim and their children.
Education
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​Juris Doctor, University of Dayton School of Law, Dayton, Ohio
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
Bar Admissions
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​U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
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U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
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State of Ohio
RYAN WILLIS
PARTNER
Ryan began his legal career at an AmLaw 200 firm, where he became a partner before co-founding Dorton & Willis LLP. His practice spans patent procurement, enforcement, defense, licensing, and transactions involving intellectual property, including trademarks.
He has particular expertise in surgical equipment, medical imaging, surgical navigation systems, semiconductors, thermoelectrics, loading dock systems, and surgical implants such as prosthetics and biologics. In the surgical device sector, Ryan has represented Fortune 500 companies including ZimmerBiomet (formerly Zimmer and Biomet), C.R. Bard (now part of Becton Dickinson), and AtriCure.
Ryan lives in Morrow, Ohio, with his wife Jessie and their two children.
Education
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​Juris Doctor, University of Dayton School of Law, Dayton, Ohio
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B.S. Chemical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana
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Bar Admissions
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U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
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U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
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State of Ohio