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Ronald Cahill
OVERVIEW

Ronald E. Cahill

Partner

Boston

One Marina Park Drive
Suite 1530
Boston, MA 02210

P 617-316-5312

F 617-316-5311

Ron Cahill is well-respected for his work with clients of virtually all sizes to solve their most challenging intellectual property problems. A first chair IP trial attorney and Chair of the Barnes & Thornburg national Life Sciences Practice Group, he specializes in breaking down complex life sciences intellectual property issues for juries, judges, and the PTAB. Clients also ask him to present strategic intellectual property options to their management and boards, including whether to launch litigation and how to gain leverage in business, investment, and licensing negotiations.

OVERVIEW

Ron Cahill is well-respected for his work with clients of virtually all sizes to solve their most challenging intellectual property problems. A first chair IP trial attorney and Chair of the Barnes & Thornburg national Life Sciences Practice Group, he specializes in breaking down complex life sciences intellectual property issues for juries, judges, and the PTAB. Clients also ask him to present strategic intellectual property options to their management and boards, including whether to launch litigation and how to gain leverage in business, investment, and licensing negotiations.

With decades of courtroom experience, Ron has led trial teams in patent infringement cases around the country. He also conducts inter partes reviews (IPRs) and other proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to determine patent validity. While much of Ron’s work involves presenting his clients’ cases to judges and juries around the country, many clients ask him to apply his experience to strategic planning within their business, especially with respect to their competitors or potential deal partners.

Clients appreciate Ron’s ability to assess complex intellectual property issues in terms they can apply to achieve their business goals. Although opposing counsel recognize Ron’s determined resolve to try cases when necessary, he regularly earns praise for finding the levers that drive settlements so clients can move their businesses forward.

Ron’s life science work covers a wide range of products, technologies, and legal issues, with recent engagements including CAR-T cancer treatments, small molecule enzyme inhibitors, personalized medicine, and genetic engineering of metabolic systems to produce desired outputs.  Recent legal issues have included the scope of written description and enablement in the drug discovery context, the obviousness of engineered biologics, infringement based on biochemical function and property limitations, induced infringement of method of treatment claims, and the strategic use of IPRs to avoid litigation.

In addition to his patent work, which spans industries from medical devices to engineered biologics to engineering components, Ron represents clients seeking to protect their brands in areas such as consumer products, business-to-business sales, food and beverage, and restaurants. He also has experience resolving trademark and trade dress disputes in federal courts, as well as in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

A leader in professional associations in his field, Ron has been active in formulating legislative proposals in the areas of attorney fee shifting and patentable subject matter. He also speaks frequently on topics relating to building strategic intellectual property portfolios and using IP to enhance business value, and often has been quoted on IP issues in the business press.

Professional and Community Involvement

Secretary, Intellectual Property Owners Association Patent Litigation Committee

Former chair, American Intellectual Property Law Association Patent Law Committee

Past chair, Boston Patent Law Association Litigation Committee

Honors

The Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2024

Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars, 2013-2021

Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2004-2023

Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition, 2009-2010

Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2011-2015

EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
  • Led a trial team for an electronic component manufacturer sued for patent infringement by a competitor, including using Patent Office reexamination procedures to cut off damages arising from a jury trial in federal court and winning on appeal in a widely cited decision
  • Successfully forced a competitor suing for patent infringement to narrow the scope of their patent claims in a Patent Office Inter Partes Review, resulting in free space for the client to develop products outside of the competitor’s patent claims
  • Secured a settlement for a Fortune 500 medical device company sued by a competitor for patent infringement using a novel countersuit strategy based on equitable defenses. As a result of the settlement terms, the client was able to close a sale of the affected business unit within 24 hours.
  • Represented a university licensee/start-up medical device company through commercialization and nine-figure acquisition, including successful application of the company’s patents by the acquirer against competitors through trial and appeal court proceedings
  • Conducted IP due diligence for an acquirer in a litigious portion of the orthopedics space that ultimately resulted in the client being able to purchase only the portions of the target technology that it most desired at a price much lower than prior offers
  • Applied and managed, as lead trial counsel, a complex strategy across multiple jury trials and Patent Office IPR and reexamination proceedings to defend a medical component manufacturer against allegations of infringement of six patents by a competitor
  • Achieved mediated settlement of a patent infringement suit for an analog technology developer against a digital competitor following successful claim construction

These matters occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.

Presentations
  • Patent Litigation at the 9th Annual IP Strategy [Virtual Summit], New York, Oct. 29, 2020
  • IP Issues in Light of COVID-19, July 15, 2020
  • Present on Invalidity Opinions in Patent Litigation in Strafford Webinar, Nov. 14, 2019
  • Subject Matter Eligibility Lessons from Recent Federal Court Decisions in The Knowledge Group Webinar, July 18, 2019

These presentations occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.

Publications
  • Patent Litigation in a Pandemic: Courts Forge Ahead And Patentees Continue to Institute New Cases Despite Coronavirus, Legal Advisory, May 5, 2020 

These publications occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.

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