Cecil E. Key

Managing Member

Practice Areas

  • Civil Litigation
  • Copyright Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patent Law
  • Trademark Law
Bar and Court Admissions
  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia
  • U. S. Courts of Appeal for the First, Fourth, and Federal Circuits
  • U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, and District of Columbia
Awards & Honors
  • Selected for membership to Cambridge Who’s Who
  • Recognized as leading IP litigator by The Legal 500 US
  • Associate editor, Law and Policy in International Business Law Journal, Georgetown University Law Center
Memberships
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association

Cecil Key is the founder and Managing Member of Key IP.  Cecil has specialized in the practice of intellectual property law for over 25 years.  He has represented clients ranging from individuals and startups to large multinational companies seeking to assert or defend their intellectual property rights.  Cecil represents and counsels clients regarding the litigation, licensing and monetizing of their intellectual property assets, both nationally and internationally. Cecil has served as lead counsel in numerous cases in federal district and appellate courts throughout the U.S that regularly involve cutting edge legal issues.

Cecil has served as lead counsel in numerous cases in federal district and appellate courts throughout the U.S that regularly involve cutting edge legal issues.

Representative Cases:

  • Lead counsel for defendant in patent infringement litigation concerning unified messaging technology and related Inter Partes Review proceeding
  • Representation of plaintiff in patent infringement litigation concerning asynchronous collaboration and rapid application development technology and related Covered Business Method Review proceeding
  • Lead counsel for plaintiff in trademark infringement litigation concerning moving and storage services
  • Representation of Respondent in trademark opposition involving cosmetic and skin care products
  • Representation of Respondent in service mark cancellation proceeding involving moving and storages services
  • Representation of defendant in patent infringement litigation concerning CAD software technology
  • Representation of component manufacturer in patent infringement litigation involving multiple networking technology patents and early application of patent exhaustion under Supreme Court’s Quanta v. LGE decision
  • Representation of respondent regarding scope of protectability of trade dress (U.S. Supreme Court)
  • Commentary on The Sedona Conference Commentary on Patent Litigation Best Practices: Pleading Standards Under Iqbal/Twombly Chapter, Working Group 10 (Oct. 2017)
  • “What the federal DTSA means for you,” Virginia Employment Law Letter (Jun. 2016)
  • Overview of Inter Partes Review procedures, “Strategies and Tactics to Combat and Win Against NPEs,” Webinar, ipLeadership Exchange, October 2012
  • “Effective Management of Patent Litigation,” Practicing Law Institute, Patent Law Symposium, October 2009
  • “OMG, IP! An Overview of Intellectual Property Issues for Non-profit Organizations in the Electronic Age,” Presentation to Washington Metropolitan Area Corporate Counsel Association, November 2007
  • “Patent Rocket Dockets: Coming Soon to a Venue Near You,” Intellectual Property Today (December 2006)
  • “Rocket Science: IP, IT & Life Science,” Legal Week (November 3, 2006)
  • J.D., cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 1996
  • M.M., Southern Methodist University, 1985
  • B.M., cum laude, University of Texas – Arlington, 1983

Publications and Lectures

  • Commentary on The Sedona Conference Commentary on Patent Litigation Best Practices: Pleading Standards Under Iqbal/Twombly Chapter, Working Group 10 (Oct. 2017)
  • “What the federal DTSA means for you,” Virginia Employment Law Letter (Jun. 2016)
  • Overview of Inter Partes Review procedures, “Strategies and Tactics to Combat and Win Against NPEs,” Webinar, ipLeadership Exchange, October 2012
  • “Effective Management of Patent Litigation,” Practicing Law Institute, Patent Law Symposium, October 2009
  • “OMG, IP! An Overview of Intellectual Property Issues for Non-profit Organizations in the Electronic Age,” Presentation to Washington Metropolitan Area Corporate Counsel Association, November 2007
  • “Patent Rocket Dockets: Coming Soon to a Venue Near You,” Intellectual Property Today (December 2006)
  • “Rocket Science: IP, IT & Life Science,” Legal Week (November 3, 2006)

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 1996
  • M.M., Southern Methodist University, 1985
  • B.M., cum laude, University of Texas – Arlington, 1983

Memberships

  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association