Sara C. Kanos

Sara C. Kanos is an Intellectual Property Attorney who represents businesses and individuals. Having always divided her practice between the prosecution and litigation of intellectual property, Sara’s clients benefit from her well-rounded experience. She handles a variety of matters involving patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and internet law. In addition to assisting clients in securing and enforcing patents, and trademark and copyright registrations, Sara provides due diligence and analysis of patentability, trademark clearance, infringement, and permissive use issues. Sara also has experience in licensing and contractual issues relating to intellectual property. 

A native of Bergamo, Italy, Sara is fluent in Italian. After moving from Italy, Sara made South Carolina her home. She received a B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry from Furman University.  While attending Furman University, Sara became familiar with analytical chemistry instrumentation, synthesized anti-tumor drugs, and led teams in synthesizing DNA-interactive molecules.

Sara is now active in the Greenville, SC, community where she lives with her husband and children. She is also a member of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and the Greenville County Bar.  Sara actively participates in InnoVenture, InnoMobility and related conferences.  She is also a graduate of Leadership Greenville and currently serves on the board of the Greek Orthodox Church Troupe Adelphia. 

Community & Professional

• South Carolina Bar
• U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Leadership Greenville, Class 38 of 2012
• Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition Committee for the SC Bar, Chair (2004-2006)

Outside Maynard Nexsen

More than anything, Sara enjoys her family outside of the firm.  Moving to the U.S. as a child, her immediate and extended family are small but extremely close.  She has a passion for cooking authentic Italian with the help of recipes handed down from prior generations. 

Although she loves experiencing new places, her favorite places to travel are the beaches of South Carolina.  To her, nothing compares to a good meal, good conversation and a view of the ocean.    

Patent Litigation

After assisting a South Carolina native in securing a patent, Sara assisted this client in bring suit against a competitor.  Sara was instrumental in obtaining a recommendation for preliminary injunction against the competitor. 

Trademark Litigation

Sara obtained summary judgment in two complex trademark infringement cases.  In one case, she represented the trademark owner.  The court granted summary judgment on the issue of trademark infringement, which resulted in a favorable termination of the case.

In a separate case, Sara represented a party accused of trademark infringement.  The court granted summary judgment against the alleged trademark owner. 

In both cases, the clients were able to avoid trial on these issues. 

Sara also recently prevailed in a trademark infringement trial, which resulted in the cancellation of trademark registrations owned by her client's competitor.

• TALK Greenville Magazine Top Lawyers, 2023-2024
• Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation - Intellectual Property; Trademark Law (2018-Present)
• South Carolina Legal Elite, Intellectual Property and Innovation (2024)

Sara is an author and lecturer on IP-related issues.