Cecil E. Key

Mr. Key focuses his practice on assisting clients in capturing and deploying their intellectual property assets to maximum benefit, primarily through patent and trademark litigations in which he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants before numerous federal district courts, various federal appellate courts, including the Courts of Appeal for the First, Fourth and Federal Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but also through the acquisition and deployment of funding for development of the client’s intellectual property assets.

Mr. Key has represented clients in matters involving a diverse range of technologies, including software, semiconductors, broadband and networking, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and wind turbines. Mr. Key has been recognized as a leading IP litigator by The Legal 500 U.S.

Memberships:

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Member, International Trademark Association

Representative Cases:

• Lead counsel for defendant in patent infringement litigation concerning unified messaging technology and related Inter Partes Review proceeding
• Representation of plaintiff in patent infringement litigation concerning asynchronous collaboration and rapid application development technology and related Covered Business Method Review proceeding
• Lead counsel for plaintiff in trademark infringement litigation concerning moving and storage services
• Representation of Respondent in trademark opposition involving cosmetic and skin care products
• Representation of Respondent in service mark cancellation proceeding involving moving and storages services
• Representation of defendant in patent infringement litigation concerning CAD software technology
• Representation of component manufacturer in patent infringement litigation involving multiple networking technology patents and early application of patent exhaustion under Supreme Court’s Quanta v. LGE decision
• Representation of respondent regarding scope of protectability of trade dress (U.S. Supreme Court)

Honors & Awards:

• Selected for membership to Cambridge Who’s Who
• Recognized as leading IP litigator by The Legal 500 US
• Associate editor, Law and Policy in International Business Law Journal, Georgetown University Law Center

Publications & Lectures:

• “What the federal DTSA means for you,” Virginia Employment Law Letter (Jun. 2016)
• Overview of Inter Partes Review procedures, “Strategies and Tactics to Combat and Win Against NPEs,” Webinar, ipLeadership Exchange, October 2012
• “Effective Management of Patent Litigation,” Practicing Law Institute, Patent Law Symposium, October 2009
• “OMG, IP! An Overview of Intellectual Property Issues for Non-profit Organizations in the Electronic Age,” Presentation to Washington Metropolitan Area Corporate Counsel Association, November 2007
• “Patent Rocket Dockets: Coming Soon to a Venue Near You,” Intellectual Property Today (December 2006)
• “Rocket Science: IP, IT & Life Science,” Legal Week (November 3, 2006)