• T: 888.295.7145
• C: 773.366.0564
• F: 888.803.6244
• E: rsmith@fsblegal.com

• K&L Gates LLP
• Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, LLP
• Holleb & Coff Ltd.

• Originatic LLC - General Counsel & Co-Founder

• Illinois
• U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

• University of Illinois, J.D., 1997
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1994

Mr. Smith, a registered patent attorney, concentrates his practice in intellectual property and commercial transactions, having represented Fortune 500 companies and start-ups.

Mr. Smith has entrepreneurial experience as the co-founder and general counsel of a successful, computer manufacturing company.  He was an inventor for over ten of the company's patents.  With this experience, Mr.  Smith takes a pragmatic approach to the practice of law, aimed to help clients achieve business objectives.

He has drafted hundreds of patent applications for a wide range of inventions in the software, electro-mechanical and mechanical fields, including software applications, gaming devices and systems, vehicles, power equipment and machinery, consumer appliances, medical devices, database structures, e-commerce systems and business methods. 

Mr. Smith has managed patent portfolios, performed freedom-to-operate studies and developed defensive strategies for clients charged with patent infringement, including invalidity positions and design-around approaches.  He has also conducted trademark searches, prosecuted trademark applications, and managed domain name strategies and copyright registrations.

In his transaction practice, Mr. Smith has drafted and negotiated numerous agreements and contracts involving licensing, collaboration, technology transfer, sponsored research, application services, and product development, manufacturing, supply and distribution.  In addition, Mr. Smith has conducted intellectual property due diligence and prepared intellectual property policies and corporate confidentiality policies for a diverse range of clients.