Richard T. Ruzich practices in the area of intellectual property law with an emphasis on litigating complex patent, copyright, trademark and trade secrets matters. Mr. Ruzich is a registered patent attorney representing high-tech and generic pharmaceutical companies (ANDA) in both opinion and litigation matters. He also counsels clients on intellectual property portfolio management and protection strategies as well as due diligence and transactional matters for clients in the pharmaceutical, chemical, computer hardware and software, and medical devices industries. His areas of practice also include filing and prosecuting patent, trademark, and copyright applications, and drafting and negotiating intellectual property agreements (including licensing, joint development, and government R&D agreements).

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Ruzich served as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., defending the United States and its agencies against patent infringement suits brought by the private sector. He is a member of the U.S. Navy (reserves) and holds a top-secret/SCI security clearance. In that capacity, Mr. Ruzich has defended the Department of Energy, The Department of Defense (Army, Navy, Air Force), The National Security Agency, CIA, FBI, and The White House against patent infringement suits.

In private practice, his cases have involved such varied technologies such as drug products, including hormone replacement therapy, secured satellite transmissions, encryption, avionics, radio transmission systems, dual processing microprocessors, compilers, slurry bubble column reactor and catalysis, pharmaceuticals, tooth whitening compositions, hazard waste materials storage, green technologies including alternative fuel cells, vehicular brake systems, artificial sweeteners, and various consumer products. He has handled cases from the trial level through the appellate process, including appeals to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ("the Patent Court") and assisted on appeals to the United States Supreme Court.

Before entering the legal profession, Mr. Ruzich worked as an electrical engineer in Chicago and New York (ComEd/Exelon and LILCO, respectively). He is also a published author and an adjunct professor and speaks regularly on intellectual property issues.

He is a member of the U.S. Navy (reserves) and holds a top-secret/SCI security clearance.

Mr. Ruzich is a 1996 cum laude graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law and a graduate of John Marshall Law School (LL.M., Intellectual Property Law) and Bradley University (B.S., Electrical Engineering Technology). Currently, he is pursuing a master's degree in computer science at DePaul University.

Areas Of Practice

Patents, Trademarks and Copyright
Intellectual Property

Professional Activities

American Intellectual Property Owners Association
American Health Lawyers Association
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Reserve Officers Association
Intellectual Property Owners Association
- Damages Committee
Association of Intelligence Officers

Admissions

Illinois
Indiana
Colorado
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. Supreme Court

Education

John Marshall Law School, LL.M., Intellectual Property Law, with honors, 2002
Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1996
Bradley University, B.S., Electrical Engineering Technology, 1991