Richard D. Harris

Partner

F: (860) 956 5855
F: (203) 458 1039
Overview Experience Insights News Education and Credentials Recognition and Community

Overview

Richard "Rick" Harris, resident in the firm's Hartford office, chairs the firm's Technology, Telecommunications, and Outsourcing practice group. Rick concentrates on commercial transactions with special emphasis on intellectual property and technology issues. He is experienced in structuring, drafting documentation for, and negotiating a wide variety of contractual transactions, including licensing and transfer of technology and intellectual property, including copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and trademarks. Rick has advised software publishers, developers, integrators, distributors, computer and equipment manufacturers, service providers, biotechnology and life sciences companies, medical research organizations, joint ventures, authors, and inventors in the acquisition, protection, and exploitation of intellectual property and the negotiation of licenses and other transactions, including commercialization of university-developed technology and patents. He represents both licensors and licensees and others seeking rights to use and/or own third-party intellectual property rights. In addition, he regularly advises financial institutions, including banks and insurance companies, and other multinational companies in connection with their multiyear, multimillion-dollar IT and telecommunications services contracts, including outsourcing contracts.

Rick regularly lectures and writes on intellectual property and technology law topics relating to computer technology and technology outsourcing. Rick's presentations have included programs entitled "Technology Outsourcing in the Financial Services Industry: Contingency Planning a Contractual Approach to Managing Uncertainty" and "Negotiating Telecommunications Outsourcing Deals: Major Issues in Integrating Managed Services Agreements."

Rick is presently a director, secretary, and past chair, of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Connecticut, and is a director, secretary of the Connecticut Technology Council. Also, he is a past president of Congregation Kol Haverim in Glastonbury, CT.

Rick is a member of the Emerging Companies and Venture Finance group, which offers resources and a solution developed specifically for entrepreneurs and startups called Day Pitney Launch.

Experience

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Negotiating, on behalf of a multibillion-dollar diversified industrial manufacturer with headquarters in Cleveland, OH, and advising senior management in connection with a range of multiyear, multimillion-dollar IT and telecommunications managed services arrangements covering locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim

Structuring and documenting a series of multiyear, multimillion-dollar off-shore IT and business process outsourcing arrangements on behalf of a Fortune 100 reinsurance company

Negotiation, on behalf of a multinational pharmaceutical company with headquarters in France, of the successful restructuring of a $100 million arrangement for managed data telecommunications services throughout the world

Negotiation, on behalf of a major research university, of the terms of acquisition for a custom-designed MRI system for use in its clinical research programs

Advising a leading global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of instruments and related consumables and services used in the life sciences research on a series of development, patent license, and research collaboration agreements in the fields of drug discovery, genomics, and biochip analysis

Assisting a high-speed data communications and Internet access provider in developing its service level and privacy policies and in negotiating and documenting arrangements by which to market its services

Providing advice in connection with the structuring and negotiation of a joint venture and related agreements for the development and marketing of an educational information management software system to help school districts better utilize educational statistical information, including a wide range of software license, development, maintenance, and royalty agreements

Insights

News

Education and Credentials

Education
University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., High Honors, 1990
University of Pennsylvania, B.S.E., magna cum laude, 1983
Admissions
State of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
Affiliations
American Bar Association, Computer Section
Connecticut Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section and Corporate Section
Connecticut Bar Association, Committee on the Impact of AI on the Legal Practice
International Technology Law Association
University of Connecticut School of Law, adjunct professor, 1993-1994
MIT Enterprise Forum, Inc., chairman 1997-2003, corporate secretary 2005- present, director 1993-present
Connecticut Technology Council, director 2006-present, corporate secretary 2008-present
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), IP Advisory Board, member
Better Business Bureau, corporate legal counsel, 1999-present

Recognition and Community

Recognition

No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.

Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Copyright Law, 2017-2025

Selected to the list of Connecticut Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Intellectual Property, 2007-2009, 2012-2021

Pricewaterhouse New York City, Management and Technology Consultant, 1983-1987

AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell (LexisNexis)

Community

Lawyers for Children America, Inc., volunteer, 1996-present; Regional Advisory Board, member, 2002-present

Congregation Kol Haverim, vice president and director, 2000-2004; president, 2004-2006; officer 2006-2008

Connecticut Audubon Society, director, 1994-1996