Amadou Kilkenny Diaw

Amadou Diaw is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice. Amadou’s IP litigation practice focuses on representing defendants and plaintiffs in IP litigation including patent infringement and trade secret matters. He has handled all aspects of IP litigation matters from pre-suit investigation and pre-response issues through trial preparation and trial. Amadou’s experience includes arguing dispositive, claim construction and numerous other motions and issues before district courts.

Amadou is also an IP strategist and counselor for numerous startup companies and routinely advises emerging companies regarding IP issues.

Amadou has experience across several industries with a focus on technology including cloud computing, numerous computer hardware and software systems, digital image processing, consumer products, wireless networking and communications, power systems, and proxy network technology.  Amadou's clients have included Fortune 100 companies in the computing and telecommunications industries as well as emerging and high growth technology companies.

Amadou's litigation experience includes examining and defending expert and fact witnesses at depositions, arguing dispositive, claim construction, discovery and procedural motions before federal district court and magistrate judges, and examining witnesses at trial for both plaintiffs and defendants. He has represented clients in active intellectual property litigation venues including the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Delaware, and the Northern and Central Districts of California.

Amadou’s IP counseling experience includes extensive work with startup companies at various stages of maturity and work for larger entities. Amadou has guided clients through legal issues associated with the development and launches of new products, developed terms of use and terms of service agreements, and established IP protection policies and procedures to ensure that growth companies protect their IP.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Amadou was most recently a partner with litigation boutique RuyakCherian LLP. Prior to that, he was an associate at Winston & Strawn. He began his legal career as a staff attorney with The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

While in law school, Amadou served as a member of the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal’s Editorial Board.

Amadou is a member of the D.C. Bar, the Maryland State Bar Association, and the National Bar Association.

Amadou serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors of Georgetown University’s Hoya Hoop Club and is an at-large Board of Directors member of Hoyas Unlimited. He is also a Class Agent for the University of Virginia School of Law Foundation.

In 2024, the Legal 500 US recognized Amadou as a recommended Lawyer for his work in Patent Litigation: Full Coverage. 

Amadou has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and Top-Rated Intellectual Property Attorney in DC each year since 2017.

Amadou has received numerous awards for his commitment to pro bono including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for his work on a case that resulted in a groundbreaking state-wide settlement with the State of Virginia concerning accommodations for deaf inmates in its prisons.

Amadou’s recent publications include:

• Co-Author, “Key PTAB Priorities And changes Under Vidal,” Law 360, June 2023
• Co-author, “The Impact of New Patent Litigation Assignments Rules in the Western District of Texas,” Goodwin Client Alert, April 26, 2023
• Co-author, “Chief Judge of Western District of Texas Changes Waco Patent Case Assignment System,” Goodwin Client Alert, July 28, 2022
• Co-author, “Introduction of the Restoring the America Invents Act and Its Impact on the PTAB,” Goodwin Client Alert, September 27, 2021

Amadou’s recent speaking engagements include:

• Speaker, “CLE Webinar Series: Entertainment & the Law,” Goodwin Webinar, July 19, 2022
• Speaker, “Olympics & Law — Legal Woes of Famous Olympians,” Goodwin Webinar, April 14, 2022