Cynthia A. Neal

Cindy’s practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution with an emphasis on chemical technologies, including materials, polymers, coating, food, biotechnology and consumer goods. 

Cindy has counseled a broad range of clients, from individual inventors and startups to Fortune 500 companies, on intellectual property matters, including reviewing disclosures, rendering clearance and validity opinions, handling prior art searches, conducting due diligence, and portfolio management.

In addition to her work as a patent attorney, Cindy has assisted clients with navigating through the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and other regulations related to the possession, trade and export of U.S.-controlled assets. In particular, she has helped clients analyze company product, service and technology portfolios to identify and classify assets subject to export controls, register under the ITAR or EAR, and develop, implement and improve export control compliance programs.

Cindy earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2009 and her B.S. in Biochemistry from Miami University in 2005.

She joined Calfee from a Cincinnati-based law firm in 2021, and she was elected Partner in 2024.

Honors & Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Litigation - Intellectual Property (2025) and Patent Law (2024-2025)
• Cincy Magazine, "Cincy Leading Lawyers," Intellectual Property (2023)

Education

J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 2009

B.S., Biochemistry, Miami University, 2005

Experience

• Counseling a publicly traded, European manufacturing company on various sensitive and highly confidential IP and litigation matters. These matters relate to IP strategy and enforcement, patent portfolio management, IP-related agreements, licensing, government contracts, and freedom-to-operate analyses.
• Managing a publicly traded, Fortune 1000, multinational manufacturer's global intellectual property portfolio. Calfee advises the client in patent preparation and prosecution matters, including strategy and filings. Calfee advises on patent enforcement matters, which are currently in pre-litigation investigation, including developing infringement analysis to stop infringement in markets with high-revenue product lines. Calfee also assists the client with a variety of other intellectual property counseling matters, including patent opinions, IP-related terms in agreements, cross-border enforcement, IP licensing, IP acquisition (particularly in China), and advising on best practices for protecting and harvesting intellectual property.
• Representing a public, Fortune 1000 company and global manufacturer in its U.S. patent prosecution and global IP strategy, working with its in-house IP counsel. Calfee oversees the drafting of patent applications directed to highly complex systems and counsels the client on critical IP-related issues such as freedom-to-practice, trade secret strategies, and innovation harvesting.
• Serving a multi-billion-dollar, multinational, publicly traded, Fortune 500 manufacturer for more than a decade, working with a team of in-house patent/IP counsel to handle the implementation of the client’s global IP protection objectives for all company divisions, including interfacing with Research & Development and business leaders concentrated in the United States and Europe. Specifically, Calfee oversees the drafting and prosecution of hundreds of patent applications throughout the world on behalf of the client and counsels the client on critical IP-related issues such as freedom-to-practice, trade secret strategies, and innovation harvesting.
• Assisting as outside IP counsel for a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded, Fortune 1000, multinational holding company with multiple operating companies based in the U.S. and abroad. Calfee is responsible for all patent matters and assists many of the operating companies with the prosecution of patent applications, both in the U.S. and internationally. Calfee manages the U.S. trademark and patent work directly and supervises a network of foreign associates when action is required in foreign jurisdictions. Calfee also offers primary counsel on the impact of corporate reorganization efforts on the ownership and management of the IP of the operating companies. Calfee IP lawyers supervise most of the intellectual property due diligence related to the mergers and acquisition activity of the client. Calfee represents the company in several trade secret matters and other IP litigation matters.
• Managing the entire IP portfolio for a natural resources company with facilities across North America, including their patent and trademark portfolios. This includes preparing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications both in the U.S. and internationally, counseling and advising on patent and trademark strategy, including patent and trademark clearance analyses, patentability, agreements, and licensing, as well as competitor portfolio analysis. In 2023, Calfee handled domestic and international patent portfolios in 11 countries, the PCT, and the Madrid Protocol.

Professional & Community

• CincyIP, Member

• Cincinnati Bar Association, Member

• Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of Law, Adjunct Professor (2023-Present)
• American Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
• Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program, Mentor (2019-Present)
• All Ohio Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, Planning Committee (2022-2023)
• Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, Board of Directors, Chair (2016 – 2019)

Presentations

• "Start-Up 101: Protect Your Tech!," Women in Start-Ups and NAWL Women in Intellectual Property & Tech Law, Panelist, Webinar (September 2021)