Senior Counsel

Jonathan W. Richards works closely with clients in the management and development of their IP portfolios by helping them identify and protect key innovations and technologies through careful selection of U.S. and foreign IP protection strategies. He holds extensive experience working with patent, trademark and copyright matters and conducts due diligence investigations focused on funding transactions, negotiating and documenting asset acquisition and licensing transactions. He also frequently manages the preparation of formal legal opinions on a variety of issues including patent validity, infringement, and non-infringement and design around strategies. Mr. Richards regularly works with clients in the presentation of in-house seminars designed to assist them with educational presentations to engineers and managers on intellectual property issues. His technical experience includes electronics and electrical engineering, computer systems, e-commerce, IT, mechanics, software, and mechanical engineering.
Mr. Richards also has extensive experience and expertise in trademarks and brand protection. For many years, Mr. Richards actively served in various capacities with the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), a national association of more than 16,000 intellectual property professionals, serving as the Secretary of the Association from 2008 to 2011, serving as Chair of the AIPLA Trademark Law Committee from 2007-2008, and serving as Co-Chair, Chair and Vice Chair of the AIPLA Trademark Treaties and International Law Committee from 2013 to 2015, 2005 to 2007 and 2003 to 2005, respectively. In these various capacities, Mr. Richards regularly traveled to Geneva, Switzerland as an AIPLA representative at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (an organization of the United Nations) in proceedings of the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Legal Development of the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Working Group). Through these committees, Mr. Richards provided input from the perspective of U.S. trademark owners and practitioners during committee meetings concerned with developing treaties and multi-national agreements directed to trademark law and related matters. In March 2006, Mr. Richards participated as AIPLA’s representative in the Diplomatic Conference for the Revised Trademark Law Treaty (RTLT), held in Singapore, which culminated in its adoption as the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks.
Experience
U.S. and International Prosecution of IP
U.S. and International Patent Prosecution
U.S. and International Trademark Prosecution
U.S. Copyright Registrations
Licensing, Other Transactional Work and Client Counseling
Education & Admissions
Education
J.D., Order of the Coif, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1984
B.S., cum laude, Electrical Engineering University of Utah, 1981
Admissions
Utah State Bar
Texas State Bar
Registered Patent Attorney, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Languages
German
Recognitions
2015 – 2022, The Best Lawyers in America©
2014, 2015, “Utah Legal Elite”, Utah Business Magazine
2003 – 2005, Representative, AIPLA, Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Adjunct Faculty, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University
Chair of the Trademark Treaties and International Law Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association
Memberships & Activities
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
International Trademark Association (INTA)
Insights & Events
Workman Nydegger is happy to announce that 20 of our exceptional attorneys have been named in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Workman Nydegger is incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the… read more
Workman Nydegger is pleased to announce that thirteen of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2024 edition of the Mountain States Super Lawyers list. The Workman Nydegger attorneys ranked in the Mountain States Super… read more
Congratulations to our attorneys named to the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America! The Best Lawyers in American (2024 Edition) – Salt Lake City Brad Barger – Patent Law Kirk C. Coombs – Patent… read more
Ten Workman Nydegger attorneys have been named as 2023 Mountain States Super Lawyers, and four have been named as Rising Stars. Congratulations to the WN attorneys below who were recognized this year! 2023 Mountain States… read more