Richard de Bodo

Rich de Bodo is a skilled and creative trial lawyer who litigates high-stakes, complex, and cutting-edge cases for the world’s leading technology, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies as well as other prominent businesses, individuals, small businesses, and early-stage companies. Rich has been repeatedly selected as one of the top trial lawyers in California. He is known for his tireless and forceful advocacy on behalf of his clients, his painstaking preparation and attention to detail, his boundless energy, his creative problem-solving, his ability to explain complicated technology and concepts in simple terms to judges and juries, and his ability to collaborate with and lead strong teams of lawyers. 

Rich has won significant victories and multimillion-dollar awards in federal and state courts throughout the United States, multiple appellate courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), the U.S. Patent Office, arbitration tribunals, and other forums. According to Chambers USA, “Clients are impressed by Rich’s brilliant mind and unmatched strategic skills.” Chambers quoted one general counsel: “When the stakes are high, Rich is the only person I’d go to. He gets the job done in a measured and calm manner.”   

Rich is consistently ranked by multiple publications as one of the best intellectual property, patent, trade secrets, life sciences and trial lawyers in the United States. Rich was recently named the General Patent Litigator of the Year for California. Rich has successfully litigated cutting-edge Hatch-Waxman cases and Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) cases for leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the world. Rich has won bet-the-company patent infringement and inventorship cases, trade secrets cases, Lanham Act, trademark, false advertising, and unfair competition cases, copyright cases, and post-grant challenges to patents before the PTAB and in the U.S. Patent Office for established companies, start-ups, investment firms, and inventors in a wide range of technologies, including wireless communications, software, computers, semiconductors, consumer electronics, Internet technology, optics, pharmaceuticals, stem cells, biosimilars, and biotechnology. In the words of one general counsel, “Rich is the person you need when you’re faced with highly complicated IP legal matters that involve many variables.”   

Rich has enjoyed unrivaled success litigating and trying business and commercial disputes throughout the United States, including securities fraud and malpractice matters. Rich has also successfully represented Native American and Alaska Native tribes, villages, organizations, and individuals in multiple matters relating to their aboriginal and treaty rights and sovereignty, their lands and resources, their civil rights, their voting rights, and their health and welfare. He has teamed up with and/or represented the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) in a number of these matters.   

Prior to joining MWM, Rich served as chair of the intellectual property, patent litigation, and life sciences practices at several leading global law firms.