
R. Devin Ricci
PartnerDevin Ricci is a partner in the New Orleans and Houston offices of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2012 and practices primarily in the intellectual property group, but also practices in the pipeline and expropriations, commercial litigation, and transaction groups.
As a member of the intellectual property group, Devin has performed a gamut of legal services. Devin is a registered patent attorney and has experience in all four areas of intellectual property rights: patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets. He splits his time between intellectual property litigation to enforce and defend the rights of his clients and prosecution work to secure and obtain intellectual property rights on behalf of clients. Devin’s litigation experience spans patent infringement, trademark infringement, and trade secret misappropriation. He has represented companies of all types and sizes in litigation matters, from major oil companies to technology companies to clients who provide goods in the hunting industry. Devin has also assisted clients as both the plaintiff and defendant in a myriad of business litigation matters in both state and federal courts.
Devin routinely assists clients ranging from single inventors and artists to Fortune 500 companies with obtaining and securing their intellectual property rights. He has successfully drafted and prosecuted U.S. patent applications and coordinated with international counsel for the successful prosecution of PCT applications to obtain foreign patent rights. He has conducted patent prior art searches and provided design around opinions, non-infringement opinions, and freedom to operate opinions. Devin conducts trademark screening searches and prosecutes state, federal, and international trademark applications. He has managed U.S. and international portfolios of patent and trademark rights on behalf of various clients, and has drafted and negotiated IP licenses, assignments, and sales of IP assets. Devin also assists clients with the protection of their copyrighted works.
Devin also practices in matters concerning pipeline servitudes and expropriation rights. In this capacity, Devin has negotiated servitude agreements with landowners to obtain rights of way for pipeline projects and has litigated expropriation suits when necessary to secure these rights. He has conducted due diligence review of servitude rights belonging to his clients and those of third parties affecting industrial site projects. Such representation has included the negotiation and implementation of letters of no objection (LONO’s) for pipeline and utility installation and crossings.
Devin is listed as a Rising Star by Louisiana Super Lawyers, 2016-2022 and was chosen for the New Orleans CityBusiness 2022 Leadership in Law list.
- Representation of an e-commerce platform and affiliated BBQ grill manufacturing entity in a joint sale of businesses to a private equity group
- Representation of international oilfield operator in defense of trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims related to software
- Representation of online marketing company in litigation alleging trade secret misappropriation, unfair trade practices, and breach of contract related to software
- Representation of software development company in claims of trade secret misappropriation and unfair trade practices
- Representation of products manufacturer in trademark infringement litigation
- Representation of publication companies in claims of copyright infringement related to advertisements run
- Representation of engineering company in claims of copyright infringement
- Representation of national engineering company in response to allegations of trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement related to use of schematics
- Representation of numerous clients in prosecution of patent rights in front of the United States Patent and Trademark Office including a national oil and gas company, chemical companies, two Louisiana universities, a national oceanographic institute and research facility, a major hunting industry manufacturer, companies providing services to the oilfield and energy sector, the manufacturer of BBQ and grilling equipment, an off-shore rig company, start-up companies, and independent investors
- Representation of clients in the successful prosecution and maintenance of trademark applications in Louisiana, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and internationally through the Madrid Protocol and Madrid Agreement
- Representation of clients in the successful prosecution and maintenance of patent applications in Louisiana, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and internationally through the Patent Cooperation Treaty
- Representation of clients in the enforcement and defense of infringement actions by and against clients in the banking industry, oil and gas industry, recreational outdoors industry, and the hunting and outdoor recreation industry, for claims of patent infringement, trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement, among others
- Conducted due diligence, drafted, and negotiated intellectual property contracts, including license agreements and contracts of sale or assignment, for clients of all sizes from independent inventors to national corporations
- Provided design around analysis and freedom to operate opinions on third party patent rights for clients in numerous industries
- Representation of startup companies in assessing and formulating strategies for addressing their intellectual property needs including the representation of an educational startup in trademark and copyright matters and the representation of a video game creator in copyright, trademark and licensing matters
- Representation of authors, artists, graphic designers, and poets in securing copyright registration
- Representation of independent inventors in obtaining patent rights and eventual sale and license of these rights to companies
- Representation of major oilfield services provider in defense of allegations of patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and various business torts
- Representation of major oilfield company in litigation alleging trade secretion misappropriation, breach of contract, and various business torts
- Represented of clients in pipeline matters, including a global oil and gas company in negotiations and expropriation matters to obtain rights of way for large-scale pipeline project, a multi-national oil and gas company in negotiation of rights of way and construction agreements for installation and management of pipelines around its facility, and the conduction of a due diligence review for a multi-national oil and gas company’s pipeline assets to aid in creation of a commitment letter to obtain financing for a proposed project
- Registered, monitors and maintains international trademark portfolios in over 50 countries
Devin earned his B.S. in Biochemistry in 2009 from Louisiana State University, with minors in Chemistry and Political Science. While earning his degree, he worked as a student researcher under a professor in the Biological Chemistry Department. Following undergrad, Devin attended the LSU Law Center on a Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship, where he earned his J.D./B.C.L., magna cum laude, in 2012. Devin was named to the Chancellor’s List in each of his six semesters while at the LSU Law Center and was inducted as a member of the Order of the Coif upon graduating.
- Admitted, Louisiana, 2012; Texas, 2021; United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2012; All Louisiana Federal District Courts; Southern District of Texas; United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; United States Court of Appeal, Federal Circuit
- Member, Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations; American Bar Association Young Lawyers and Intellectual Property Divisions; American Bar Association Committee on Science and Technology, Young Lawyers Division 2014 Chair; American Chemical Society
- The Ball’s In Their Court Now: NCAA’s NIL Policy Provides Trademark Opportunities for College Athletes, Louisiana Law Blog, July 2, 2021
- Registering Your Intellectual Property Rights With Customs: A proactive Measure to Block the Importation of Infringing Goods into the U.S., Intellectual Property Law Blog, April 21, 2021
- Using the International Trade Commission to Stop the Importation of Infringing Goods, Intellectual Property Law Blog, April 19, 2021
- Avoiding Additional Fees in Connection with Registration Maintenance, Intellectual Property Law Blog, March 8, 2021
- $2.175 Billion - With A "B" - Verdict In Patent Infringement Case, Intellectual Property Law Blog, March 4,2021
- USPTO Again Extends Certain Patent and Trademark Deadlines Through May 31, 2020, Intellectual Property Law Blog, April 30, 2020
- Preparing for the squall of post-COVID bankruptcies: Intellectual Property rights in Chapter 11, Intellectual Property Law Blog, April 29, 2020
- Trade Secrets and Teleworking: How to Protect Your Rights in an Evolving Crisis, Louisiana Law Blog, April 3, 2020
- USPTO Extends Certain Patent and Trademark Deadlines Under CARES Act, Louisiana Law Blog, April 2, 2020
- Recent United States Supreme Court Decision Tackles Question of What Happens When Bankruptcy Meets Intellectual Property, Louisiana Law Blog, June 19, 2019
- Why Intellectual Property is More Important Than You Think, Kean Miller Hospitality Forum, New Orleans, October 2018
- Net Neutrality Repealed: What it Means for Business, Louisiana Law Blog, December 15, 2017
- Updates in Patent Troll Litigation CLE, Louisiana Bankers Association 2017 Annual Bank Counsel Conference, December 9, 2017
- Patented Invention Spotlight - Aqua Dam by Layfield Group, Louisiana Law Blog, August 26, 2016
- Website Accessibility and ADA Litigation, Louisiana Law Blog, February 19, 2016
- Nine Tips for First-Time Patent Seekers, Baton Rouge Business Report, February 17, 2016
- Patents Are on the Rise in the Capital Region, Baton Rouge Business Report, February 16, 2016
- Patent Protocol, Baton Rouge Business Report, June 9, 2015
- What To Expect When You're Expecting a Patent, Louisiana Tech Park Seminar, May 29, 2015
- What to Expect When You're Expecting a Patent, Louisiana Law Blog, March 16, 2015.
- Practical Law Statutes of Limitation: Louisiana, Practical Law Litigation, June 2014
- Definitely Indefinite? Supreme Court Issues Decision in Nautilus v. Biosig Instruments, Louisiana Law Blog, June 5, 2014
- Judicial Troll Hunting, Louisiana Law Blog, June 3, 2014.
- Chair, SoLA Super Region Committee
- Founding Director and Secretary, Louisiana Pet Pantry non-profit
