Biography

Rick Biagi, a Member of Neal & McDevitt, joined the firm shortly after its founding in 1998.  Rick’s practice includes counseling clients in the areas of selection, adoption, use, and protection and enforcement of trademarks and domain names; anti-counterfeiting; the registration of trademarks and copyrights on a worldwide basis; licensing; and advertising and promotions law compliance.  Rick has been ranked by the World Trademark Review to the WTR 1000 for trademark enforcement and litigation.

Rick represents a wide range of clients from small and mid-sized corporations to some of the most iconic brands.  His clients include large multinational financial services institutions; national trade associations; national and international retailers and QSR’s; manufacturers of well-known consumer brand products, jewelry, food products, apparel, and alcohol beverages; and electronics and technology companies.  Rick also proudly represents a number of local and national not-for-profit organizations in intellectual property matters on a pro bono basis.

Rick’s extensive litigation experience includes proceedings involving trademark, copyright, and advertising disputes before U.S. Federal Courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.  Rick also is an experienced mediator in the area of trademark law and has served as an expert witness in cases involving trademark law.

Rick holds several leadership positions within the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the American Bar Association-Intellectual Property Law Section (ABA-IPL) and is a frequent speaker on intellectual property topics across the country.  Rick currently serves as a member of the ABA-IPL Section’s Council and is recent Past-Chair of the Trademarks Division for the ABA-IPL Section.  In addition, Rick previously served as the Chair of INTA’s Pro Bono Committee and a member of its Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and now serves on INTA’s U.S. Legislation Subcommittee where he is engaged in the development of trademark legislation and policy on Capitol Hill and in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Actively involved in his community, Rick was twice elected in 2009 and 2013 to the Park Ridge Park District Board of Commissioners; in 2017, he was elected to the District 64 Park Ridge-Niles School Board where he served as the board’s President (2019-21) and Vice President (2017-19).  Elected in April of 2021, Rick currently serves as Alderman of Park Ridge’s 6th Ward.

Rick is active in Chicago’s Italian-American business and civic community and is quite proud of his Northern Italian heritage.  Rick and his wife, Susan, live in the Chicagoland area where they are raising their five children.  When he’s not working or serving his community, you can most likely find Rick on a golf course, a school, sports or church event or wherever his family may be at that given moment.

Law Review Articles

  • The Intersection of First Amendment Commercial Speech Analysis and the Federal Trademark Dilution Act: A Jurisprudential
    Roadmap, International Trademark Association, The Trademark Reporter, July-August 2001, Vol. 91, No. 4., page 867.

Professional Accomplishments

  • Ranked by the World Trademark Review to the WTR 1000 for trademark enforcement and litigation in 2019, 2020 and 2021
  • Rated AV(R) PreeminentTM by the Martindale-Hubbell(R) National Law Directory, a peer review for ethical standards and legal ability.  AV(R) PreeminentTM is Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating.
  • Appointed a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (2014)
  • Named to the Illinois Super Lawyers(R) Rising Stars for 2010 and 2011, Intellectual Property Law
  • Named to the Illinois Super Lawyers(R) for 2014 through 2021 in Intellectual Property Law
  • Named to Leading Lawyers for 2018 through 2021 in Advertising and Media Law
  • Recipient of the 2012 International Trademark Association Volunteer Service Award For Pro Bono Services
  • Recipient of the 2014 and 2018 Recognition of Outstanding Leadership Contribution by the American Bar Association – Intellectual Property Law Section

Admitted to Practice

  • Illinois (2001)
  • District of Columbia (2002)
  • United States Supreme Court (2006)
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Cir. (2005)
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Cir. (2010)
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2001)
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (2018)
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (2011)
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (2013)
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (2014)
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2016)

Education

  • Exec. Cert. in Negotiation, 2008, University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business
  • Juris Doctor, 2001, magna cum laude, DePaul University College of Law
    • Order of the Coif (2001)
    • Judicial Extern, Hon. Blanche M. Manning, District Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2000)
  • Bachelor of Music, 1992, trumpet performance, University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign

Outreach

Recent Lectures:

  • 2018 American Bar Association – Intellectual Property Law Section – Spring Conference – Panel Moderator – The Dark Side of Knockoffs
  • 2016 American Bar Association – Intellectual Property Law Section – Spring Conference – Panel Moderator – Expert Survey Evidence
  • 2015 American Bar Association Annual Meeting – Panel Moderator, Four Lanham Act Gold Records in 12 Months by the Supremes: You Keep Us Hang’n On
  • 2015 United States Patent and Trademark Office Entrepreneur Workshop – Catalyze Chicago – Panel Presenter
  • 2013 International Trademark Association Annual Meeting, Panel Presenter, Pro Bono Representation for Trademark Practitioners
  • 2012 American Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section, Spring Conference; Panel Moderator; Jack and COLA – Top Ten Intellectual Property Myths With Wine & Spirits
  • 2012 American Bar Association Annual Meeting; Presenter; Resurrecting Legacy Brands

Pro Bono:

  • AmeriFace
  • Bugles Across America
  • Active Transportation Alliance
  • Rainbow Hospice
  • The Theraplay Institute
  • Modern Gaelic Productions
  • Life Meets Work
  • The Kalo Foundation
  • Turning Pointe Autism Foundation
  • PicDiversity
  • American Craft Spirits Association

Civic, Governmental & Charitable Boards

  • Trinity Irish Dance Company (2017)
  • Park Ridge Holiday Lights Fund (Director – 2016 – Present)
  • Park Ridge Park District Board of Commissioners (2009 – 2017) (elected)
  • Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board (2017 – 2021) (elected)
    • Vice President – 2017-19
    • President – 2019-21
  • City of Park Ridge (2021 – Present) (elected)
    • Alderman, Sixth Ward
      • Chair, Budget and Finance Committee (2021 – Present)
      • Member, Mayor’s Advisory Board (2021 – Present)

Professional Memberships

Member:

  • International Trademark Association (INTA)
  • American Bar Association – IPL Section (ABA-IPL)
  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
  • The Justinian Society of Lawyers
  • The Wine Institute
  • American Craft Spirits Association

International Trademark Association:

  • U.S. Legislation Subcommittee – 2006 – 2009; 2018 – Present
  • Pro Bono Committee – 2012 – 2014; Vice Chair – 2014 – 2016; Chair – 2016 – 2018
  • Madrid System Subcommittee – 2010 – 2012
  • National 2005; ADR Programs Subcommittee – 2004 – 2006
  • Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, Bench Memo Committee – 2001, 2002, 2003

American Bar Association – Intellectual Property Law Section:

  • Council Member – 2020 – Present
  • Chair – Trademarks Division – 2018 – 2020
  • Vice Chair – Trademarks Division – 2016 – 2018
  • Chair, Trademark Litigation Committee – 2012 – 2016
  • Vice Chair, Trademark Litigation Committee – 2010 – 2012
  • Editorial Board, Landslide – 2013 – 2018
  • CLE Board – 2015 – 2018

Representative cases

  • Academy Ltd. v. CWGS Group, LLC and Gander Outdoors, LLC, (SD TX) (Trademark and trade dress infringement) (Defendants’ Counsel)
  • Aguila Records, Inc., et. al. v. Nueva Generacion Music Group, Inc., et. al. (USDC NDIL) (Trademark and copyright infringement) (Defendants’ Counsel)
  • Aguila Records, Inc., v. Sergio Federico, et. al. (USDC NDIL) (Trademark and copyright infringement) (Defendants’ Counsel)
  • American RV Centers, LLC v. American RV World LC, Inc. and Robert Maese, Sr., (USDC NM) (Unfair competition) (Plaintiff’s Counsel)
  • Artland, Inc. v. Midnight Cellars, Inc., (USDC DNJ) (Declaratory Judgment) (Defendant’s Counsel)
  • The Butcher Company v. Ecolab, Inc., (TTAB) (Trademark Opposition) (Plaintif