
Overview
RJ has tried over 60 cases to jury verdict in federal court as lead trial counsel. These include both civil and criminal matters involving economic espionage and misappropriation of trade secrets; patent, copyright and trademark infringement and trafficking in counterfeit goods; bank, computer, healthcare, mail, securities, tax and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; false statements, false claims, whistleblowers and retaliatory discharges; conspiracies to defraud the United States; bribery and public corruption; drug trafficking, violent crimes and firearms offenses; civil fraud; and environmental enforcement. RJ also has conducted hundreds of evidentiary hearings involving preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders; suppression of statements and evidence; sentencing and supervised release revocations and civil and criminal bench trials. RJ has been lead counsel and has argued over 50 criminal and civil appeals before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Federal Circuits and the Illinois and Minnesota Appellate Courts.
RJ’s intellectual property practice focuses on patent, trade secret, copyright and trademark counseling, and litigation and USPTO post grant reviews and re-examinations.
RJ’s government enforcement and corporate investigations practice focuses on counseling, compliance, internal investigations, and defense of government enforcement actions and investigations.
Education & Admissions
University of Illinois (J.D., 1989), summa cum laude; Order of the Coif; Notes and Comments Editor
Illinois Institute of Technology (B.S.E.E., 1979), Computer Science Minor
Admissions
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Languages
- Spanish, Arabic
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Chief Judge John F. Grady, 1989-1991
Experience
Representative Work
Intellectual Property
RJ’s experience includes counseling, asserting, and defending patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret claims for clients such as Mosaic, 3M, Medtronic, Valspar, Mate Precision, St. Jude Medical, AGA Medical, Canon, Tyco Healthcare, Endress & Hauser, ANGUS Chemical, Alcatel, U.S. Cellular, Aetna, Menard’s, ASICS, and Boston Scientific.
RJ’s technical and patent attorney background has enabled him to handle matters involving the design and operation of computers, wireless devices and telecommunications systems and protocols, electronic consumer products, electronic control systems, Coriolis flowmeters, encryption devices, memory devices, digital and analog circuitry, electrical transmission, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and nutritional supplements, multi-modal polymers, adhesives, composites, and electrical, chemical and mechanical processes.
Prior to law school, RJ worked seven years as a hardware and software design engineer for Honeywell, Inc., designing microprocessor based instrumentation and digital and analog circuitry for environmental control systems used in commercial buildings and complexes. He received the Honeywell Technical Excellence Award for his design of software and hardware controlled memory device and circuit board testing system.
Government Enforcement and Corporate Investigations
RJ’s government enforcement background includes extensive experience in investigating, prosecuting, and defending complex federal investigations and actions. As an Assistant United States Attorney, RJ led the investigation and prosecution of hundreds of criminal cases, including multi-defendant international drug-trafficking and money laundering conspiracies; bribery and corruption; fraud (bank, computer, healthcare, mail, securities, tax and wire fraud); aggravated identity theft; conspiracies to defraud the United States; false statements and claims; economic espionage; theft of trade secrets; criminal copyright and trademark cases; violent crimes; firearms; and environmental crimes (including two of the largest criminal fines in the history of Minnesota).
Since returning to private practice, RJ has defended and tried white-collar and multi-defendant international drug trafficking and money laundering cases. RJ has also successfully represented numerous corporate clients in government enforcement actions and in internal investigations, involving:
- Bribery, corrupt practices and fraudulent schemes (including alleged FCPA violations, corrupt practices and fraudulent schemes in Brazil, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Jordan, Malaysia, Panama, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom);
- Misappropriation of trade secrets and economic espionage;
- Trafficking in counterfeit goods;
- Criminal environmental violations;
- Fraud (bank, computer, healthcare, mail, securities, tax and wire);
- False claims and statements under the FCA;
- Adulterated and misbranded drugs and medical devices; and
- Off-label promotion
RJ has also represented non-English speaking clients whose native languages are Arabic and Spanish in criminal and civil matters in federal court.
RJ was the court-appointed Receiver in the SEC v. Cook, et. al, Case No. 09-cv-3333, CFTC v. Cook, et. al, Case No. 09-cv-3332, and SEC v. Beckman, et. al, Case No. 11-cv-574 (D. Minn.) cases involving a $194 million Ponzi scheme with hundreds of vulnerable victims.
News & Resources
Articles
News & Press Mentions
Events & Speaking Engagements
Industries & Practices
Intellectual Property Litigation
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceGovernment Enforcement & Corporate Investigations
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceBanking & Financial Institutions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceEnergy & Natural Resources
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceFood, Beverage & Agribusiness
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practicePublic-Private Partnerships
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceAntitrust & Competition Law
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Anti-Corruption Group
- Antitrust & Competition Law
- Appellate
- Banking & Financial Institutions
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
- Government Enforcement & Corporate Investigations
- Healthcare
- Indian & Alaska Native
- Intellectual Property
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Legal Project Management
- Mining
- Pro Bono
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Technology
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- Serves the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota under its Criminal Justice Act Plan and is appointed regularly to represent indigent criminal defendants in federal felony cases
- Served on Court’s Federal Practice (Local Rules) Committee and ECF Sealed Committee
Accolades





- Contributed more than 100 Challenge pro bono hours, 2020-2021
- Named one of “America’s Leading Business Lawyers” by Chambers USA (Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations), 2020-2021
- Recognized in IAM Patent 1000 - World's Leading Patent Practitioners, 2019-2021
- Recognized by Hennepin County Bar Association Excellence Award for Pro Bono Service, 2018
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, 2015-2022
- Listed in Minnesota Super Lawyers (twelfth consecutive year), 2010-2021
- Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell's® highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability
- MSBA North Star Lawyer, 2013-2020
