Marc Richards Image

Marc Richards

Partner, Crowell & Moring

With more than 25 years of experience in intellectual property law, Marc V. Richards, Partner with Crowell & Moring, has helped secure and defend the innovations for the world’s largest high performing companies and for the newest high-tech start-ups. His experience in litigation, patent office inter partes proceedings, patent prosecution, and IP portfolio management translates into confident navigation of complex intellectual property matters.

Marc focuses his practice in a broad range of technologies including material sciences, hydrocarbon and chemical processing, specialty chemicals, food science, pharmaceutical therapeutics, medical devices, and computer software innovations applying data analytics, blockchain, AI, and cloud computing. He also counsels clients on patent infringement and invalidity investigations, licensing, and trade secret matters. Clients often look to Marc for advice in protecting non-traditional innovations and emerging technologies. Having traveled the globe for a half dozen years as an engineer and then cutting his teeth as a patent attorney prosecuting global portfolios extending over 40 countries, Marc brings a wealth of international IP experience to his clients’ advantage.

Marc has lectured internationally on numerous topics of intellectual property law and is active in several legal associations. He is the former President of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) and former Chair for the AIPPI-US Group, a division of the AIPLA and is active with AIPPI at the International level. He previously served on the Board of Directors for three Intellectual Property Law Associations. He is also President of a small non-profit theatrical production company.

Marc received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Washington University at St. Louis. He worked in the chemical industry developing an expertise in computer process control and became a licensed professional engineer. Marc later concurrently received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, he was a shareholder at Brinks Gilson & Lione.

Recent Articles by Marc Richards

Converting Your Patent Portfolio to Patent NFTs? Best to ‘Wait and See’

Non-fungible tokens, or “NFTs,” have captured headlines, offering the perfect mix of poorly understood technology and incredible sale prices. The first patent NFT auction by True Return Systems and the newly announced patent NFT exchange under development by IPwe and IBM could not be better timed to take advantage of the buzz. With all of the hype, companies understandably wonder whether they need to “tokenize” their patent portfolios to NFTs in this first wave simply to get ahead of the inevitable transition. For most companies, prudence counsels stepping back and letting the technologies and the markets mature. First, blockchain technology, as it currently exists, only creates clarity of ownership though harsh outcomes. Second, creating highly liquid patent license markets may interfere with the existing patent strategies of many patent owners.