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Rodrigo Maior

Founding Partner

Rodrigo Maior is celebrated for his deep knowledge and vast experience navigating complex patent disputes in the pharmaceutical industry among others.

Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences 2024

"A confident litigator who achieves success before the state and federal courts"

IAM Patent: Patent Litigation 2023

"Maior has an affinity for tricky cases involving issues of non-obviousness"

IAM Patent: Patent Litigation 2021

Rodrigo Souto Maior is a founding partners at Licks Attorneys and co-leads the Rio de Janeiro’s office. With over 20 years of experience, he has buit a distinguished career in high-stakes litigation cases. His practice is centered on complex disputes and consultancy in areas such as patent law, information technology, trade secrets, and unfair competition. He has represented and advised clients in a wide range of intellectual property, internet, and commercial disputes across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, information technology, metallurgy, and telecommunications. Notably, he has gained international experience as a Foreign Legal Consultant at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C.

Rodrigo is renowned for his skill in litigating complex patent cases, particularly those involving non-obviousness. Over the past years, he and his team have orchestrated successful defense and counter-attack strategies in disruptive cases in Brazil for clients across various industries, while also being instrumental in advising on regulatory matters related to disruptive technologies. His expertise also extends to trademark law, copyright, and licensing/cross-licensing negotiations, as well as technology transfer matters.

As a respected academic, Rodrigo serves as a Professor of Constitutional Principles of Competition and Patent Law at the prestigious Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). He is a frequent lecturer and author on the latest developments in Brazilian patent law and litigation.

Rodrigo holds a law degree and an LL.M. in International Law from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), as well as an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the George Washington University Law School, USA. His expertise is consistently recognized by esteemed publications such as Who’s Who Legal, IAM Patent 1000, and Leaders League. Clients praise him for his “affinity for tricky cases involving issues of non-obviousness” as well as “being a confident litigator who achieves success before the state and federal courts”.

+ 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
  • Cyber Security & Data Protection
+ 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 (2024, 2023, 2022);
  • Leaders League – Civil and Commercial Litigation (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Análise Advocacia – Rio de Janeiro (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019);
  • Análise Advocacia – Intellectual Property (2023, 2020, 2019);
  • 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);
  • Best Lawyers - ‘Recommended’ Intellectual Property Law (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • LACCA ‘Approved’ Litigation (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020);
  • The Legal 500 Latin America - ‘Tier 3 - Recommended’ IP Practice (2022);
  • Benchmark Litigation – Intellectual Property (2021);
  • Análise Advocacia 500 – Brazil (2021, 2020, 2019);
  • Benchmark Litigation – ‘Litigation Star’ (2020, 2019, 2018);
  • Análise Advocacia – 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
  • Minor’s online safety: upcoming regulatory challenges for the tech industry in the US and Brazil, Chambers, 2024;
  • 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).
+ Speaking Engagements and Others
+ Articles