Brian Charles Riopelle

Brian C. Riopelle is a highly regarded patent litigator and partner at McGuireWoods LLP, where he previously chaired the firm's IP Litigation/Patents Department. He is noted for his extensive experience litigating intellectual property cases across the United States, particularly in the Eastern District of Virginia. His practice encompasses a wide range of technology areas, including telecommunications, financial services, and complex technologies, as well as mechanical systems such as those found in beverage can manufacturing and wastewater treatment. His background also includes an internship performing immunology research, which aligns with the firm's focus on the life sciences industry.

Riopelle demonstrates a balanced practice, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement disputes. His track record includes significant victories for both operating companies and patent holders. Notably, he was lead trial counsel for Belvac Production Machinery, securing a jury verdict of non-infringement, which was upheld on appeal to the Federal Circuit, leading to the invalidation of the plaintiff's patents. He also served as trial counsel for Verizon in a patent infringement case against Vonage involving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which resulted in a $58 million jury award and ultimately settled for $120 million to Verizon following an appeal. Furthermore, he represented DuPont as lead trial counsel in a trade secret case against Kolon Industries, securing a $919.9 million jury award. He also represented Infineon Technologies AG in patent infringement litigation.

Riopelle is well-versed in proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where McGuireWoods' patent litigation team has successfully prevailed in numerous inter partes reviews. His firm's strategy often involves coordinating multi-forum approaches that integrate district court litigation, International Trade Commission (ITC) proceedings, and PTAB actions.

He earned his B.A., cum laude with Distinction, from Yale University in 1984 and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989. He is admitted to practice in California and Virginia.