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Richard D. Rivera
Partner / JacksonvilleRichard D. Rivera is a Partner in the Litigation and Intellectual Property practices of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
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Full Bio
Mr. Rivera works both in the Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups. His litigation practice is focused on commercial litigation, with an emphasis in defending actions brought under consumer protection statutes, such as the FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, and their state-level counterparts, and intellectual property litigation. Mr. Rivera has also handled various matters concerning real estate transactions and is available to assist in most business disputes.
Mr. Rivera’s intellectual property practice is concentrated in advising clients in matters involving intellectual property (trademark and copyright), compliance with state and federal laws governing sweepstakes and other promotional activities, software and internet technology, marketing, and licensing issues. Mr. Rivera also prosecutes trademark and copyright registrations before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office.
Mr. Rivera received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Florida in 2009. He earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Florida State University College of Law in 2013, where he was a member of the Florida State University Law Review, an Article and Notes Editor of the Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, and an Article Selection Editor on the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy. He is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Florida.
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Bar Admissions
Florida
Florida State Courts
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Eastern District of Michigan
Middle District of Florida
Northern District of Florida
Southern District of Florida
Northern District of Texas
Southern District of Texas
Western District of Texas
Northern District of Illinois -
Education
Undergraduate- University of Florida
Law School- Florida State University
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Memberships
American Bar Association, Managing Director of Administration of the Young Lawyers Division (2022-2023)
International Trademark Association
ACA International (Association of Credit and Collection Professionals)
Technology and Communications Committee Chair, ABA House of Delegates
Membership and Marketing Committee Co-Chair, ABA Litigation Section
Florida Bar, Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers Committee (Chair: 2023-2024)
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Recognitions
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Commercial Litigation (2022-2024, 2026); Intellectual Property Law (2026)
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Star of the Year Award (2017, 2021)
Jacksonville Bar Association Poker Tournament Runner Up (2024) -
Publications and Speaking Engagements
Interviewed, “Florida Mental Health Committee Chair Talks Burnout, Plans,” Law360 Pulse, August 2023.
Interviewed, “Pushing Yourself Too Hard? Your Health And Wellness Matters,” Young Lawyer Rising podcast, June 2023.
“Quixotic Applicant Cannot Register Tilted Windmill Design.” INTA Bulletin, Volume 72 No. 16, September 2017.
Contributor, “United States.” Brand Protection Online: A Practical Guide to Protection from Online Infringement. Jeremy Blum. Globe Law And Business, 2017. 307-322. Print.
Incontestable Status Does Not Preclude Later Genericness Finding, September 2016.
El Estatus de Indiscutible no Excluye Posteriores Hallazgos de Genericidad, September 2016.
Federal Appellate Court: Litigants Cannot Re-Raise Priority Issues Decided by the TTAB, August 2016.
TTAB Refuses Trademark Based on Non-Exclusive Use, June 2016.
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Clarifies Discovery Obligations, April 2016.
“Without a Harm to Stand On” Author, February 2016
“Spokeo v. Robins: Can Claims without Damages Continue?” Presenter, December 2015.
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SGR Publications
- Singing About Brands: Expressing Emotions in Song
- May Deadline for Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program
- How to Overcome the Genericness Hurdle at the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
- On Second Thought, Don’t Say My Name – Registering Surnames in the United States
- Supreme Court Rejects Registration Restrictions for Offensive Marks
- Fourth Circuit Fixes Fair Use
- Is Fair Use Still Fair?
- Entertainment, Arts and Sports Practice
- Repetition Cannot Foreclose Competition
- Pastry’s Petals are Functional, Not Design Element
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Press
- 34 Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP Attorneys Named to 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
- 32 SGR Attorneys Named to 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
- Smith Gambrell Russell Partner Richard Rivera Elected Young Lawyer Representative to the ABA House of Delegates
- Smith Gambrell Russell Partner Richard Rivera Receives the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award
- SGR Client Frontline Asset Strategies Receives Favorable Decision in California Federal Court
- 23 SGR Attorneys Named to 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
- Smith Gambrell Russell Partner Richard Rivera Appointed Chair of The Florida Bar’s Mental Health and Wellness Committee
- SGR Client The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry Receives Favorable Decision from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
- Smith Gambrell Russell Partner Richard Rivera Appointed Managing Director of American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
- Eighteen SGR Attorneys Named to 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
- Thirteen SGR Attorneys Named to 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
- Smith, Gambrell & Russell Elects 6 Attorneys to Partnership
- Six SGR Attorneys Appointed to INTA Committees for 2020-2021 Term
- SGR Attorney Richard Rivera Receives the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division 2017 Star of the Year Award
- Five Members of SGR’s IP Practice Chosen to Serve on Committees for the International Trademark Association