About Eric Nicholas
Eric Nicholas Mahler trained first as an engineer and then studied law. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from North Carolina State University in 1993 and completed his J.D. at Widener University in 1997. The combination of technical training and legal education has shaped the arc of his professional life.
Mahler began his legal career soon after law school. In 1998 he worked as an associate at Mahler, Shaffer Pugliesse and Finnegan. A decade later he joined Mahler, Lohin & Associates, LLC, a firm where his name appears on the letterhead and where he has practiced since 2008. His practice is based out of an office in Riverside Commons.
He is a Registered Patent Lawyer with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That credential reflects his engineering background and allows him to prepare and prosecute patent applications on behalf of inventors and companies. His work often involves technical subject matter, and clients consult him on intellectual property strategies tied to mechanical and engineering inventions.
Outside the office Mahler has been active in community and business organizations. He has served on the board of the Salvation Army Wilkes-Barre Corps since 2011. He has held a leadership role as second vice chair for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of the Bridge since 2007. He also served as president of a local chapter of Business Network International in 2005 and continues to maintain connections through that network.
Colleagues describe him as someone who bridges two fields—engineering and law—rather than someone who practices one alongside the other. He approaches patent work with an engineer’s eye and a lawyer’s attention to procedure. That combination shows up in patent drafting, prosecution before the USPTO, and in client counseling on how to protect technical developments.
Mahler’s career follows a straightforward progression from technical undergraduate degree to legal training, early associate work and then a long tenure at Mahler, Lohin & Associates. He keeps an active role in civic organizations while attending to a patent practice informed by his civil engineering roots. He currently practices at Mahler, Lohin & Associates, LLC, handling patent prosecution and other intellectual property matters for clients in engineering-related fields.
