Prior to starting Richards Patent Law in 2009, I spent over eight years as a patent attorney with McDermott Will & Emery LLP, a large international general practice law firm in Chicago. As a partner in the Intellectual Property, Media and Technology group, I managed international patent portfolios for several large corporations, as well as a number of small and mid-sized businesses.
In addition to my extensive patent prosecution and litigation experience across many technological fields, I have counseled numerous clients on matters concerning: patent portfolio acquisition and management; patent portfolio licenses, sales and purchases; joint development agreements; freedom to practice opinions; patentability opinions; non-infringement opinions; enforceability opinions; and employment and non-compete agreements.
I earned a JD from the University of Virginia, School of Law and a BS in civil engineering, with honors, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. I am admitted to practice before the courts of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. I also am a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I was recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star annually from 2012 through 2015, as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers in 2015, and I was honored to be profiled by Chicago Lawyer Magazine in an article about entrepreneurial Chicago lawyers.