Barton LLP is pleased to announce that nationally recognized intellectual property and commercial trial lawyer Richard (“Rich”) de Bodo has joined the firm as a partner in its Los Angeles office.
De Bodo is an AmLaw veteran and practice leader. He was Co-Chair of Hogan Lovells’ U.S. IP Practice, Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Patent Litigation Practice and its Life Sciences Practice, and Chair of Morgan Lewis’s Life Sciences IP Practice.
Widely regarded as one of the country’s leading IP and commercial litigators, de Bodo has represented technology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, and emerging growth companies in complex, high-stakes disputes nationwide. His experience includes cutting-edge patent litigation, trade secret disputes, Hatch-Waxman and biologics litigation, cybersecurity and software disputes, and other bet-the-company matters.
The addition of de Bodo significantly expands Barton’s litigation platform and deepens the firm’s capabilities in intellectual property, life sciences, technology disputes, and complex trial work.
In a Law360 Pulse article profiling de Bodo’s move, Managing Partner Roger E. Barton was quoted as saying, “[Rich is] an elite trial lawyer with an extraordinary combination of strategic insight, courtroom skill, technical sophistication, and leadership experience. He has handled some of the most sophisticated intellectual property and commercial disputes in the country and brings the kind of high-level experience typically associated with the largest global law firms. His arrival reflects Barton’s continued growth as a premier destination for sophisticated clients and top-tier legal talent.”
Another article in Managing IP (which provides intellectual property news and analysis) delved further into the reasons for de Bodo’s move:
“[De Bodo] added that his move to Barton, from previously practicing at ‘big law’ firms, was driven by his belief that smaller firms can provide clients with unique services. Barton’s ethos of building a practice with former ‘big law’ attorneys who wanted to step away from the traditional law firm model and prioritize a client-based, interpersonal approach was also a drawing factor for de Bodo.”
De Bodo went on to say that, “We are in a post-‘big law’ stage in our evolution. Firms like Barton can offer something better and more valuable than what ‘big law’ offers – simple, well-thought-out solutions grounded in analysis and experience that are delivered efficiently. This doesn’t require a thousand lawyers or even several hundred.”
Over the course of his career, de Bodo has secured significant victories and multimillion-dollar recoveries in federal and state courts throughout the United States, as well as before appellate courts, the International Trade Commission, the U.S. Patent Office, and arbitration panels.
De Bodo earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. from Harvard University. He has been recognized by numerous leading legal publications and ranking organizations, including Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers in America, Litigation Counsel of America, Super Lawyers, and Managing Intellectual Property.
As Barton LLP continues its national expansion, the addition of de Bodo further reinforces the firm’s strategy of attracting elite lateral talent from top-tier law firms while continuing to provide sophisticated, partner-driven representation to clients across industries.
Richard de Bodo
Roger E. Barton