Richard W. Miller

Richard W. Miller is the Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr's Intellectual Property Litigation Group and the Managing Partner of the firm's Atlanta office. He brings a strong background in computer engineering, having previously worked as a software engineer in the semiconductor industry. His patent litigation practice spans a wide array of technologies, including smart electric meters, optical networking technology, wearable technology, and various software and semiconductor-related innovations. He also handles design patent cases, particularly in the retail and fashion industries, and possesses experience with copyright, trademark, trade dress, and trade secret disputes.

Throughout his career, Mr. Miller has consistently represented defendants in patent infringement actions. This defense-side focus is evident in his tracked appearance defending Starbucks Corporation in Monticello Enterprises LLC v. Starbucks Corporation, as well as his firm profile detailing numerous successful defense outcomes for major manufacturers and companies. He has secured significant results, including obtaining summary judgment that reduced a client's exposure in a smart electric meter patent infringement suit by approximately 95% and successfully defeating a preliminary injunction motion in a wearable technology case, leading to dismissal.

Mr. Miller's litigation experience extends to federal district courts across the U.S., trials in the International Trade Commission (ITC), and arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. While specific personal appearances in PTAB/IPR proceedings are not detailed, his firm, Ballard Spahr, is noted for its strength in handling post-grant review proceedings before the U.S. Patent Office Patent Trial and Appeal Boards.

He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2006 and a B.S. in computer engineering from the University of Arizona in 1998. He is admitted to practice in Georgia and South Carolina, before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal and Eleventh Circuits.