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Hanor Law Firm: The San Antonio IP Attorney Who Clerked for the Judge Who Created the Federal Circuit’s Patent Law

Before he was prosecuting and litigating patents himself, Charles W. Hanor clerked for Chief Judge Howard T. Markey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit — the court that, under Markey, built much of the foundational case law that governs patent litigation nationwide today. Fifty years into his own career, Hanor still teaches that body of law as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University.

Origin and Background

Hanor Law Firm, P.C. is located at 750 Rittiman Road, San Antonio, TX 78209, confirmed through the firm’s own website, which states its principal office is in San Antonio. Charles W. Hanor holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Missouri at Columbia and a Juris Doctor from the George Washington University National Law Center, has been licensed in Texas since 1975, and began his intellectual property career as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office from 1970 to 1972. He then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Howard T. Markey, then-chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, from 1972 to 1975. He was a shareholder at Cox Smith from 1977 to 1992, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld from 1992 to 2001, and has led his own firm since 1993.

Practice Concentration

Hanor’s practice covers intellectual property litigation and patent and trademark prosecution, with more than 50 years of experience across virtually every aspect of intellectual property law. Since 1980 he has served as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law, currently teaching patent law, copyright law, trademark law, trade secret law, and computer and internet law. See this San Antonio Intellectual Property directory for how this litigation- and prosecution-focused solo practice compares to boutique firms and large-firm satellite offices also serving Bexar County.

Notable Work / Track Record

Awesome Attorneys did not identify a published table of settlement or verdict figures for Hanor Law Firm, consistent with a long-running solo IP practice where confidentiality provisions frequently limit public disclosure of case outcomes. What is independently verifiable is Hanor’s institutional pedigree: a former USPTO patent examiner, a former Federal Circuit chief judge’s law clerk, and a former shareholder or partner at two firms — Cox Smith and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld — with substantial San Antonio IP practices of their own, spanning a combined 24 years before he founded his current firm.

Client Voice

Awesome Attorneys did not identify a published set of itemized, attributed client reviews for Hanor across major consumer review platforms as of this profile’s research date, though he holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the platform’s peer-review distinction, and a 7.9 “Very Good” Avvo rating based on the platform’s professional-record scoring.

Beyond the Courtroom

Hanor has taught intellectual property law as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law continuously since 1980 — a 45-year teaching record running in parallel with his practice — and is a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, a distinction awarded in 1990.

Recognition for This San Antonio IP Attorney

Awesome Attorneys did not identify Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification for Charles Hanor and does not apply “specialist” language on that basis — and separately notes that TBLS does not currently certify a distinct intellectual property specialty in Texas at all. Hanor’s recognition instead rests on his AV Preeminent-caliber Martindale-Hubbell rating, his Texas Bar Foundation Fellowship, and a career clerkship and firm history that places him among a small group of San Antonio IP attorneys with direct Federal Circuit institutional experience.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Patent litigation appeals are decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the court where Hanor clerked early in his career under the chief judge whose tenure helped define much of the court’s modern patent jurisprudence. Trademark and trade secret disputes, also part of Hanor’s practice, can proceed in either Texas state courts or federal court depending on the claims asserted, while trade secret claims specifically are governed by the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act. None of this is legal advice; a specific patent, trademark, or trade secret matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Charles Hanor’s clearest differentiator is an institutional pedigree that is difficult to replicate: USPTO examiner experience, a Federal Circuit chief judge clerkship, and stints at two firms with substantial San Antonio IP practices, now channeled into both a 50-year solo practice and a 45-year parallel teaching career at St. Mary’s. The honest trade-off is that, as with many long-tenured solo IP attorneys, Awesome Attorneys did not identify a published record of consumer-style client reviews or itemized case results. For a San Antonio client who wants an IP attorney with direct institutional experience inside the very appellate court that decides patent cases, that combination is a reasonable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Hanor Law Firm’s own website (attorney biography page), Charles Hanor’s Avvo attorney profile, the State Bar of Texas member directory, and Martindale-Hubbell and Lawyers.com’s San Antonio attorney listings.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Charles W. Hanor or Hanor Law Firm, P.C. prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.