Rodrigo Maior

Founding Partner

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Contact info

Contact Info

Direct Dial

+55 21 3550 3705

Mobile

+55 21 99792 1810

rodrigo.maior@lickslegal.com

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Rodrigo Maior

Founding Partner

Rodrigo Souto Maior is one of the founding partners at Licks Attorneys and is one of our leaders at the Rio de Janeiro office. He started his career nearly 20 years, working in high-stakes cases with his future partners at Licks Attorneys. He also gained experience acting as a Foreign Legal Consultant in the Washington, D.C. office of Steptoe & Johnson. His practice has been focusing on complex disputes, leading cases and consultancy regarding patent law, information technology, trade secrets and unfair competition.

Mr. Maior has extensive experience in representing and advising clients in a wide variety of intellectual property, internet and commercial disputes. He has litigated before various federal and state courts, in cases spanning several technologies that include pharmaceutical, information technology, metallurgical and telecommunications industries. He is best known for his expertise in litigating complex patent cases involving non-obviousness, for coordinating effective defense and counter-attack strategies for clients in different industries and for advising clients in regulatory matters involving disrupting technologies. Additionally, Mr. Maior is well versed in advising clients in trademark law, copyright and licensing/cross-licensing negotiations and matters involving technology transfer. Over the past few years, Mr. Maior and his team have implemented some of the most successful defense/counter-attack strategies in technology cases in Brazil.

He lectures and publishes on the latest developments in Brazilian patent law and litigation as a Constitutional Principles of Competition and Patent Law Professor at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUCRio). In addition, Mr. Maior has received his law degree and an LL.M. in International Law from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the George Washington University Law School, in the USA.

+ Languages
  • Portuguese
  • English
+ Practice Areas
  • Litigation
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patents
  • Copyright
  • Data Protection
  • Licensing & Technology Transfer
  • Internet, E-commerce & Software
  • Food & Drug Law
  • Unfair Competition
  • Government Contracts & Public Procurements
  • Regulatory Law
  • Technology, Media & Telecommunications
  • Internet Privacy Law
  • Cyber Law
  • Contracts
  • Litigation
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patents
  • Copyright
  • Data Protection
  • Licensing & Technology Transfer
  • Internet, E-commerce & Software
  • Food & Drug Law
  • Unfair Competition
  • Government Contracts & Public Procurements
  • Regulatory Law
  • Technology, Media & Telecommunications
  • Internet Privacy Law
  • Cyber Law
  • Contracts
+ Representative Cases
  • Led the team that secured the operations of Brazil’s first and leading insurtech. This 2016/2017 litigation was the first major case regarding the interrelations of TechLaw and Insurance Law in Brazil.
  • Led the team that secured the services of a top US-based e-hailing startup in Brazil, in nationwide litigation efforts including multiple defensive and offensive litigation strategies covering internet and transportation regulatory laws and criminal issues, in one of the highest profile legal Brazilian cases in 2015-2016;
  • Was one of the leading attorneys in the first case under the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights (“Marco Civil”), assisting a major Silicon Valley start-up to have its app returned to the stores after an injunction ordered that the app be shut down in the country;
  • Represented a major European telecommunication infrastructure manufacturer in the patent dispute with the highest potential awards in Brazilian history;
  • Represented a major Chinese telecommunication infrastructure manufacturer in the defense against multiple patent infringement accusations, resulting in wins in criminal and civil procedures filed against the company and in the patent invalidly counter-attack filed on behalf of the client, which resulted in the invalidation of four patents;
  • Assisted a major Sweden-based industry in a trade-secret violation case, helping the company to lift an injunction and have the ceased products returned.
+ Professional Highlights
  • Who’s Who Legal - Life Sciences - Patent Litigation (2023, 2022);
  • IAM Patent 1000 - Patent Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021);
  • Leaders League – Technology (2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016);
  • Leaders League – Patent Litigation (2023, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016);
  • Leaders League – Civil and Commercial Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Best Lawyers - ‘Recommended’ Intellectual Property Law (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • LACCA ‘Approved’ Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – Rio de Janeiro (2022, 2021,2020,2019);
  • The Legal 500 Latin America - ‘Tier 3 - Recommended’ IP Practice (2022);
  • Benchmark Litigation – ‘highly recommended’ IP (2021);
  • Análise Advocacia 500 – ‘most admired’, Brazil (2021, 2020, 2019);
  • Benchmark Litigation – ‘Litigation Star’ (2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – IP (2020,2019);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – Civil Law (2020);
  • Leaders League – Trademark Litigation (2019, 2018);
  • Leaders League – Life Sciences (2019);
+ Representative Experience
+ Affiliations
  • Brazilian Bar Association (OAB – RJ);
  • Brazilian Bar Association (OAB – SP);
  • Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI);
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA);
  • ITechLaw (International Technology Law Association).
+ Education
  • LL.M, Intellectual Property, George Washington University Law School (2011);
  • LL.M, International Law, State University of Rio de Janeiro (2009);
  • LL.B, State University of Rio de Janeiro (2004).
+ Publications
  • O INPI precisa ser tratado com carinho, Migalhas, 2023;
  • Brazil´s Importance to a patent portfolio strategy, The Legal 500, 2023;
  • Brazil´s Importance to a patent portfolio strategy, IP STARS, 2023;
  • “Brazilian Patent Statute under attack: Second use inventions, polymorphs and inventive step (Part III)”, PREVAIL 004. May 2015.
  • “Post-grant review in Brazil: how statistics can help choosing the winning strategy”, PREVAIL 002. March 2015.
  • “The battle between public and private interest”, World Intellectual Property Review – WIPR, 2014. “Suspending IP rights”, World Intellectual Property Review – WIPR, 2010 “Evaluating Inventive Step”. WIPR, 2009.
  • Co-author of the leading book on non-obviousness in Brazil – “O CONTRIBUTO MÍNIMO NA PROPRIEDADE INTELECTUAL” (The minimum contribution requirement in Intellectual Property), 2010 (drafted a chapter comparing the non-obviousness requirement in the United States, Brazil, and Europe).
  • Author on the article “Evaluating Inventive Step”. WIPR. Sept-Oct 2009.
  • Author on the article “Brazilian - President’s Act provides for the suspension of IP rights”. GRUR Int. (2010).
+ Articles

Contact Info

Direct Dial

+55 21 3550 3705

Mobile

+55 21 99792 1810

rodrigo.maior@lickslegal.com

Open PDF file
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Rodrigo Maior

Founding Partner

Rodrigo Souto Maior is one of the founding partners at Licks Attorneys and is one of our leaders at the Rio de Janeiro office. He started his career nearly 20 years, working in high-stakes cases with his future partners at Licks Attorneys. He also gained experience acting as a Foreign Legal Consultant in the Washington, D.C. office of Steptoe & Johnson. His practice has been focusing on complex disputes, leading cases and consultancy regarding patent law, information technology, trade secrets and unfair competition.

Mr. Maior has extensive experience in representing and advising clients in a wide variety of intellectual property, internet and commercial disputes. He has litigated before various federal and state courts, in cases spanning several technologies that include pharmaceutical, information technology, metallurgical and telecommunications industries. He is best known for his expertise in litigating complex patent cases involving non-obviousness, for coordinating effective defense and counter-attack strategies for clients in different industries and for advising clients in regulatory matters involving disrupting technologies. Additionally, Mr. Maior is well versed in advising clients in trademark law, copyright and licensing/cross-licensing negotiations and matters involving technology transfer. Over the past few years, Mr. Maior and his team have implemented some of the most successful defense/counter-attack strategies in technology cases in Brazil.

He lectures and publishes on the latest developments in Brazilian patent law and litigation as a Constitutional Principles of Competition and Patent Law Professor at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUCRio). In addition, Mr. Maior has received his law degree and an LL.M. in International Law from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the George Washington University Law School, in the USA.

+ Languages
  • Portuguese
  • English
+ Practice Areas
  • Litigation
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patents
  • Copyright
  • Data Protection
  • Licensing & Technology Transfer
  • Internet, E-commerce & Software
  • Food & Drug Law
  • Unfair Competition
  • Government Contracts & Public Procurements
  • Regulatory Law
  • Technology, Media & Telecommunications
  • Internet Privacy Law
  • Cyber Law
  • Contracts
  • Litigation
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patents
  • Copyright
  • Data Protection
  • Licensing & Technology Transfer
  • Internet, E-commerce & Software
  • Food & Drug Law
  • Unfair Competition
  • Government Contracts & Public Procurements
  • Regulatory Law
  • Technology, Media & Telecommunications
  • Internet Privacy Law
  • Cyber Law
  • Contracts
+ Representative Cases
  • Led the team that secured the operations of Brazil’s first and leading insurtech. This 2016/2017 litigation was the first major case regarding the interrelations of TechLaw and Insurance Law in Brazil.
  • Led the team that secured the services of a top US-based e-hailing startup in Brazil, in nationwide litigation efforts including multiple defensive and offensive litigation strategies covering internet and transportation regulatory laws and criminal issues, in one of the highest profile legal Brazilian cases in 2015-2016;
  • Was one of the leading attorneys in the first case under the Brazilian Internet Bill of Rights (“Marco Civil”), assisting a major Silicon Valley start-up to have its app returned to the stores after an injunction ordered that the app be shut down in the country;
  • Represented a major European telecommunication infrastructure manufacturer in the patent dispute with the highest potential awards in Brazilian history;
  • Represented a major Chinese telecommunication infrastructure manufacturer in the defense against multiple patent infringement accusations, resulting in wins in criminal and civil procedures filed against the company and in the patent invalidly counter-attack filed on behalf of the client, which resulted in the invalidation of four patents;
  • Assisted a major Sweden-based industry in a trade-secret violation case, helping the company to lift an injunction and have the ceased products returned.
+ Professional Highlights
  • Who’s Who Legal - Life Sciences - Patent Litigation (2023, 2022);
  • IAM Patent 1000 - Patent Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021);
  • Leaders League – Technology (2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016);
  • Leaders League – Patent Litigation (2023, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016);
  • Leaders League – Civil and Commercial Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Best Lawyers - ‘Recommended’ Intellectual Property Law (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • LACCA ‘Approved’ Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – Rio de Janeiro (2022, 2021,2020,2019);
  • The Legal 500 Latin America - ‘Tier 3 - Recommended’ IP Practice (2022);
  • Benchmark Litigation – ‘highly recommended’ IP (2021);
  • Análise Advocacia 500 – ‘most admired’, Brazil (2021, 2020, 2019);
  • Benchmark Litigation – ‘Litigation Star’ (2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – IP (2020,2019);
  • Análise Advocacia – Most Admired – Civil Law (2020);
  • Leaders League – Trademark Litigation (2019, 2018);
  • Leaders League – Life Sciences (2019);
+ Representative Experience
+ Affiliations
  • Brazilian Bar Association (OAB – RJ);
  • Brazilian Bar Association (OAB – SP);
  • Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI);
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA);
  • ITechLaw (International Technology Law Association).
+ Education
  • LL.M, Intellectual Property, George Washington University Law School (2011);
  • LL.M, International Law, State University of Rio de Janeiro (2009);
  • LL.B, State University of Rio de Janeiro (2004).
+ Publications
  • O INPI precisa ser tratado com carinho, Migalhas, 2023;
  • Brazil´s Importance to a patent portfolio strategy, The Legal 500, 2023;
  • Brazil´s Importance to a patent portfolio strategy, IP STARS, 2023;
  • “Brazilian Patent Statute under attack: Second use inventions, polymorphs and inventive step (Part III)”, PREVAIL 004. May 2015.
  • “Post-grant review in Brazil: how statistics can help choosing the winning strategy”, PREVAIL 002. March 2015.
  • “The battle between public and private interest”, World Intellectual Property Review – WIPR, 2014. “Suspending IP rights”, World Intellectual Property Review – WIPR, 2010 “Evaluating Inventive Step”. WIPR, 2009.
  • Co-author of the leading book on non-obviousness in Brazil – “O CONTRIBUTO MÍNIMO NA PROPRIEDADE INTELECTUAL” (The minimum contribution requirement in Intellectual Property), 2010 (drafted a chapter comparing the non-obviousness requirement in the United States, Brazil, and Europe).
  • Author on the article “Evaluating Inventive Step”. WIPR. Sept-Oct 2009.
  • Author on the article “Brazilian - President’s Act provides for the suspension of IP rights”. GRUR Int. (2010).
+ Articles