(DALLAS) Chad Ray, Ph.D., a patent litigation trial attorney with more than 14 years of experience, has joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. (“Munsch Hardt”) as a Shareholder in the Firm’s Dallas office. Chad joins Munsch Hardt’s growing Intellectual Property (“IP”) team from Carrington Coleman.

“As Munsch Hardt’s IP litigation team continues to grow and take on more notable cases, adding an experienced trial attorney like Chad will greatly benefit our team,” said Jamil N. Alibhai, Munsch Hardt Shareholder and leader of the Firm’s IP practice group. “Having previously worked with Chad, I applaud his career as an emerging powerhouse in the IP space. I have immense respect for him and am confident he will bring the right level of experience and leadership to help us continue growing our client base as well as our IP Litigation practice.”

Focusing on patent, trademark and copyright matters within the energy, automotive, life sciences, manufacturing, oil and gas, and technology & telecommunications industries, Chad strives to protect his clients innovations by defending them against competitors. Prior to attending law school, Chad’s passion for understanding technology led him to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, which provides him a unique understanding of the connection between science, technology, and the law. When those connections arise in litigation, Chad’s ability to explain intricate concepts in a clear, concise way and effectively represent clients using his scientific knowledge provides the edge his clients need to achieve the best possible outcome in their IP or technology disputes.

With a national practice spanning coast to coast, Chad has been recognized in the Lawdragon 500 list of the leading litigators in the U.S. for IP, as well as in the Best Lawyers in America directory for Commercial Litigation and IP Litigation. Chad also presents his thought leadership through articles and presentations on topics ranging from developments in intellectual property law, litigation and trials, and before that, physical chemistry, biological molecular physics, and nanotechnology topics.

Chad also maintains active memberships in the American Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association and American Chemical Society. Chad’s rural New Mexico upbringing instilled in him a “community-first” mindset that leads him to taking on pro bono cases, serving as a criminal defense attorney in jury and bench trials, and advocate on a range of criminal justice issues. Chad received his bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico, his doctorate from Duke University and his juris doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.

The Firm also recently welcomed litigation associate Robert Rhodes to its Austin office. Rhodes focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, with an emphasis on helping clients defend their rights in patent, trade secret and trademark litigation matters in the voice over IP, internet of things and wireless communication sectors. Rhodes graduated with honors from Columbia Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor for the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review. Before his career as an attorney, Robert worked in R&D for a clinical toxicology and pharmacogenetics laboratory and was a professional bassist, touring throughout the United States and Canada.