John Richards

Adjunct Professor of Law

Ladas & Parry LLP
26 West 61 Street
New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-708-1915
Fax: 212-246-8959
[email protected]

John Richards started work in the patent profession in the patent department of the British chemical company Albright & Wilson in 1966. He joined Ladas & Parry in 1973, becoming a partner in 1982. In addition to teaching at Fordham, where he has been teaching since 1998, he teaches a course on international patent law and at John Marshall School of Law. Mr. Richards has written and spoken frequently on international intellectual property issues, especially in the fields of patents and copyrights in the United States, Canada, India and the Far East.

Mr. Richards was listed by Legal Media Group as one of the World's Leading Patent Law Experts 2003 - 2007.

Mr. Richards specializes in chemical and biochemical patent matters including drafting and prosecution of patent applications in these fields in the United States and abroad. He is also widely experienced in the negotiation and drafting of patent and know-how license agreements.

    • General Editor, Legal Aspects of Introducing Products to the United States (Kluwer 1988)
    • Co-author, Intellectual Property and the Internal Market of the European Community (Graham & Trotman 1993)
    • Intellectual Property Counseling and Litigation - Matthew Bender 1988 - chapters on International Litigation and International Licensing
    • The New Role of Intellectual Property in Commercial Transactions Wiley 1994 - Chapter on International Patent and Copyright Matters
    • Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society September 1990 - Trade Related Intellectual Property Issues (TRIPS)
    • Journal of Patent and Trademark Office Society, April 1989 - 10 Years of Substantive Law Development in the European Patent Office
    • Fordham University Law School Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Summer 1993 - Patents and Biotechnology
    • Fordham University Law School Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Spring 1997 - Recent Patent Developments in Asia
    • Proceedings of Fordham University International Intellectual Property Law & Policy vol 1, Chapter 17 on Patent Law in Taiwan;
    • Proceedings of Fordham University International Intellectual Property Law & Policy vol 2, Chapter 47 on Petty Patent Protection;
    • Proceedings of Fordham University International Intellectual Property Law & Policy vol 3, Chapter 42 on Recent Patent law Developments in Asia;
    • Proceedings of Fordham University International Intellectual Property Law & Policy vol 6, Chapter 62 on Functional Claiming: Outside the United States;
    • Trademark Reporter March/April 1984 - Recent Developments Concerning Trademarks and the European Economic Community
    • European Intellectual Property Review, June 1983 - Extra-territorial Aspects of U.S. Law in the Patent Field
    • International Financial Law Review, October 1983 - Piracy of Computer Software
    • PLI's Legal Notes and Viewpoints Quarterly, May 1985 - Licensing in the International Field
    • Solicitors Journal, October 1989 - Ownership of Copyright: Some International Thoughts
    • Various articles in Journal of Chartered
    • Institute of Patent Agents on aspects of United States Intellectual Property Law
    • International Quarterly (Business Laws Inc.), January 1999 International Licensing: Structuring Deals Worldwide
    • IP Litigator, November/December 1999
    • Patent Litigation in East Asia
    • Bioforum Europe, October 2006: Patent Protection: Inventions Involving Newly Found Biochemical Mechanisms
    • The Licensing Journal, February 2007
    • International Considerations in IP Licensing
    • Patent World, April 1995 (jointly with Janet Cord) - Biotechnology Patent Practice in the United States
    • Patent World, May 1995 (jointly with Janet Cord) - Biotech Update: Principles of in re Bell reaffirmed
    • Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, August/September 1995 (jointly with Martyn Molyneaux) - Patenting Software-related Inventions in the U. S. and European Patent Offices. 
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
    American Group of AIPPI
    American Bar Association
    European Patent Institute
    Chartered Institute of Patent Agents (U.K)

    Bar Admissions

    New York
    USPTO, British Patent Office & European Patent Office
    Registered to Practice before the European Office of Harmonization of the Internal Market (Trademarks and Designs)

  • University of Cambridge (BA, 1966; MA, 1970)
    University of London (LLB, 1979)

Mailing Address

Fordham University School of Law
Legal Writing Program
150 West 62nd Street, Room 7-175
New York, NY 10023