Ray Farrell is a founding partner of Carter, DeLuca & Farrell, LLP, an intellectual property law firm dedicated to helping innovators protect and grow their ideas. With decades of experience guiding companies from early-stage startups to multinational corporations, Ray advises clients on building, managing, and leveraging patent and trademark portfolios to maximize business value.
In addition to his legal practice, Ray is deeply engaged in the innovation and startup community. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Workforce Advancement, a nonprofit that designs training programs in advanced manufacturing and other in-demand fields, and as a mentor with Mentors + Angels, an accelerator program focused on supporting women, minorities, and other underrepresented founders who receive disproportionately less venture funding. Ray also played a key role in launching a consortium-based venture mentoring service that connected Long Island institutions with MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service Outreach Program, expanding access to critical expertise and networks for local entrepreneurs.
Ray is also a member of the New York Angels Investment Group, a vibrant organization of angel investors who come from diverse backgrounds including operating executives, successful entrepreneurs, and financial and medical professionals. Through this group, he participates in the diligence process, invests individually in promising startups, and provides ongoing support through board participation and advising. The group’s mission—and Ray’s personal goal—is to help founders develop their early-stage businesses into successful, scalable companies.
Ray’s leadership extends to the broader intellectual property community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation, which promotes understanding of intellectual property rights and their importance to innovation and economic growth. He is also part of the negotiating team for the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)’s Patent Harmonization Committee, working on efforts to align international patent systems. In addition, Ray represents AIPLA as a delegate to both the U.S. Bar–European Patent Office (EPO) Liaison Council and the EPO’s Main Standing Advisory Committee (SACEPO), composed of 42 senior practitioners from around the world. Within SACEPO, his work contributes to high-level exchanges on policy topics such as the EPO’s Strategic Plan 2028, quality initiatives, digital transformation of the patent granting process, international cooperation, the Unitary Patent, and convergence of practice.
At LIHTI, Ray brings his combined background in intellectual property law, angel investing, and venture mentoring to support startups in navigating the challenges of growth, protecting their innovations, and building sustainable businesses.