Ray is a technology litigator, loyal advocate, and perceptive strategist. His clients rely on his ability to see the big picture, to give practical business advice that speaks clearly to their specific concerns, and to bring effective and efficient litigation strategies to bear on those problems.
Ray represents clients across a range of technology-related industries, with an emphasis on computer hardware and software companies. With learned insight on a variety of technology-related disputes, Ray has advised his clients on copyright, technology licensing, unfair and deceptive trade practices, online defamation, trade secrets and IP disputes.
Ray has more than 20 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts across the country, as well as domestic and international arbitration. As a member of the Firm’s Strategy & Appeals team, clients seek him out not only for his appellate experience, but also for his strategic insight in cases that raise vexing legal issues, span multiple jurisdictions, or raise constitutional questions.
Recognized as an “Acritas Star” and by The Best Lawyers in America for his strengths as a business litigator, Ray has guided clients through a range of other business disputes, including class actions, directors and officers litigation, business torts and internal corporate investigations.
Ray is also an NCDRC Certified Superior Court Mediator, who brings his determined and creative approach to litigation to helping parties resolve their disputes in ways that give them control of the outcome, their legal spend, and their future time and energy. In addition to his NCDRC training, Ray attended the Harvard Mediation Intensive at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Obtained a $26.3 million trial verdict (trebled in the judgment to over $79 million) for a U.S.-based software company in an action alleging fraud, breach of contract, and unfair and deceptive trade practices against a UK software company. Affirmed on appeal. SAS Inst. Inc. v. World Programming Ltd., 874 F.3d 370 (4th Cir. 2017).
- Orchestrated global judgment enforcement campaign against a UK software company, invoking California statute to obtain first-of-its-kind assignment order for customer payment obligations worldwide, and a novel injunction under the All Writs Act of 1789 enjoining software company from any new sales in the United States until the judgment was paid in full. Affirmed on appeal. SAS Inst. Inc. v. World Programming Ltd., 952 F.3d 519 (4th Cir. 2020).
- Represented state attorney general in federal suit to enjoin on First Amendment grounds a state criminal prosecution for allegedly false campaign speech. Obtained reversal on appeal of district court order denying injunction. Grimmett v. Freeman, 59 F.4th 689 (4th Cir. 2023)
- Secured dismissal of a class action on behalf of an international computer manufacturer.
- Won dismissal of claims brought by former machine learning engineer for bonus payments claimed as part of internal patent development program. Affirmed on appeal.
- Defended leading computer manufacturer in Delaware breach of contract claim brought by financial services company.
- Represented North Carolina biopharma company in Texas breach of contract suit filed against Texas biopharma company.
- Defended a major telecommunications company against claims for commercial online defamation and unfair and deceptive trade practices.
- Represented a pharmaceutical company in an international arbitration involving claims for breach of patent licensing agreement and unfair and deceptive trade practices.
- Represented multiple Native American tribes in appeal of key jurisdictional issue to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Publications
- Author, “Fourth Circuit Rejects Broad Reading of Arbitration Ban in Dodd-Frank,” The National Law Review, June 9, 2014
- Author, “Can You Keep a Secret? Confidentiality Clauses In Settlement Agreements Are For Real,” The National Law Review, March 14, 2014
- Author, “Fourth Circuit Weighs in on Supreme Court’s Class Action Decision in Walmart v. Dukes—Or Does It?” The National Law Review, November 12, 2013
- Author, “Fourth Circuit Decision Highlights Risk of Personal Liability for Copyright Infringement,” The National Law Review, September 13, 2013
- Author, “The Gamble That Didn’t Pay Off: You Have Only One Chance to Get Into Federal Court,” The National Law Review, June 20, 2013
- Author, “Caught in the Cloud: How Hard Could It Be To Recover Your Data From a Defunct Cloud Provider,” The National Law Review, April 26, 2013
Honors & Awards
- Recognized as an Acritas Star (based on survey of 4,300 general counsel), 2019
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2018 – Present
- Selected to the North Carolina Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Business Litigation, Appellate, 2012 – 2018
Prior Legal Experience
- Associate, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Raleigh, NC, 2006-2012
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Honorable Douglas H. Ginsburg, 2005-2006
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Honorable T.S. Ellis, III, 2004-2005
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Honorable Douglas H. Ginsburg, 2005-2006
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Honorable T.S. Ellis, III, 2004-2005
