Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend
Rich Christiansen is a partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, a multi-practice international law firm. Rich’s clients range from multinationals to early-stage startups. Rich focuses his practice on patent prosecution and transactional intellectual property for a broad range of technologies in the software, mechanical, and electrical spaces. With Rich’s help, clients have received patents for medical devices, artificial intelligence, electro-mechanical systems, online security and content delivery, heavy equipment, fintech, and clean technology. Rich’s transactional practice focuses on helping his clients buy/sell companies and assets, complete investment rounds, and negotiate license agreements. In addition to this, Rich helps his clients bring products to the market by identifying and mitigating risks arising from competitor patents.
Before launching his legal career, Rich was a design engineer at Raytheon Missile System where he participated in the development and testing of a new weapon system and was involved in the development of diesel injection systems at Siemens VDO. Rich has been involved with many startups and new companies, including as a founder, and as a mentor.
Rich is fluent in German. He obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.