Richard D. Kelly

Richard (Dick) D. Kelly is Co-Chair of the Life Sciences practice group and a member of the Chemical, Litigation and ITC Litigation practice groups. He represents both domestic and foreign companies in a full range of complex patent and trade secret disputes before the federal district courts, in § 337 proceedings before the International Trade Commission (ITC), and in appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mr. Kelly has particular expertise in the impact of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on intellectual property rights. He frequently lectures about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the pharmaceutical industry including such issues as inventorship, use in drug discovery, and patient and dose selection

With a long track record of successful litigation in a range of high-profile cases, Mr. Kelly is highly regarded for his vast courtroom experience. He litigates matters involving such diverse products as pharmaceutical drugs, software, semiconductor processing devices, and plastics. In addition, he offers opinions on validity, enforceability, licensing, inventorship, and right-to-use matters. Mr. Kelly advises clients on the relationship between FDA exclusivity for new drugs and patent exclusivities, all aspects of pharmaceutical lifecycle management, and litigation regarding abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA).

Clients hire Mr. Kelly not only for his litigation expertise, but also for his in-depth understanding of the patent prosecution process, including interferences. Mr. Kelly began his career more than three decades ago as a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and practiced in Oblon’s Chemical Patent Prosecution groups prior to transitioning to litigation. His experience at the USPTO exposed him first-hand to the Examiners’ process when reviewing applications and deciding interference motions.

Mr. Kelly regularly visits his clients – many of whom he has worked with steadily since the 1970s – providing them with updates on the law as well as business trends and developments impacting their industries. 

Education

• The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (J.D.)
• Northeastern University (B.S.)
  • Chemical Engineering

Admissions

• Virginia
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Accolades

• Martindale-Hubbell^® AV^® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5
• Benchmark Litigation ranked as State Litigation Star (2010-2015)

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Section of Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law; Section of Litigation
• American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
• ITC Trial Lawyers Association
• Virginia State Bar, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Section

Services

• Litigation
• Counseling & Strategic Advice
• U.S. Patent Procurement (Application Drafting & Prosecution)

Technologies

• Life Sciences
• Chemicals