Mr. Gilliland has served as Chairman of the firm since 2001. He has specialized in the handling of complex commercial and intellectual property litigation since 1980. His practice has focused extensively on the representation of high-technology companies in litigation regarding claims based upon patent, copyright and trademark infringement, breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraud, unfair competition and violation of the antitrust laws. He has appeared in federal and state trial and appellate courts around the United States.
As lead trial counsel for a medical device company, Mr. Gilliland won a unanimous verdict in a patent license dispute after a seven week jury trial. As lead counsel for a multinational computer service company, he won a unanimous defense verdict in a six week antitrust jury trial. For the same client, as co-lead counsel, he won a unanimous ruling from three arbitrators denying the $1 billion claim of an internet company after a month long arbitration.
From 1994 through 1998, Mr. Gilliland was managing partner of the firm and in 2000, was head of Townsend's litigation group.
Mr. Gilliland has published a chapter in Inside the Minds: Firm Leadership - Leading Lawyers on the Art & Science of Managing a Law Firm, published by Aspatore Books.