Richard T. Matthews

Richard T. Matthews is a seasoned intellectual property litigator and a partner at Williams Mullen, where he concentrates his practice on patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and licensing matters. His technical acumen, stemming from a chemistry degree with a biochemistry focus and industry experience, enables him to handle complex technologies across diverse sectors. He regularly litigates cases involving life sciences, ag-bio, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, high-tech software, precision manufacturing, consumer products, and energy technologies.

Matthews demonstrates experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in patent disputes. While the provided data notes one tracked appearance as local counsel for a plaintiff, his firm profile highlights a balanced practice, including representing a plaintiff in a patent infringement case involving a specialty medical balloon and serving as lead counsel for a university in a genome editing technology patent action. He has also defended manufacturers against design patent and chemical patent infringement claims.

As a first-chair trial attorney, Matthews has handled intellectual property disputes in over 40 states, navigating federal courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and various appellate courts, including the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court. He also has experience with proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), the International Trade Commission (ITC), and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

Matthews is admitted to practice in North Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Georgia, and is a registered patent attorney with the USPTO. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a J.D. from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2004, and holds a Master of Law degree in intellectual property law.