Rick Biagi, Managing Partner at Neal & McDevitt
Every Friday, CIAP’s Member Spotlight gives us a chance to introduce the people who make our community so special: their work, their roots, and the experiences that have shaped their paths. This week, we’re pleased to feature Rick Biagi, Managing Partner at Neal & McDevitt, a prestigious trademark firm in Chicago.
Rick’s story moves from an early ambition in orchestral music to a long career in trademark law. It also carries the strong thread of his Italian heritage: family ties to Chicago’s 24th and Oakley neighborhood, roots near Lucca in Tuscany, and traditions he shares with his wife and children. We’re happy to introduce you to a CIAP member whose professional journey and family story are both deeply connected to the community around him.
From orchestral trumpet hopeful to trademark lawyer
Before law school, Rick pursued a career as an orchestral trumpet player. In his mid-twenties, he realized that goal was unlikely to materialize. He took time for soul-searching, returned to law school, and began a new chapter: one that would lead him into trademark law.
While in law school, Rick clerked for a new boutique trademark firm starting in Chicago. Nearly three decades later, he is still with Neal & McDevitt, now serving as Managing Partner. He is in his 25th year as a practicing trademark lawyer.
That path has a familiar truth in it: sometimes a change in direction is not the end of a dream, but the beginning of a different kind of meaningful work. Rick’s story reminds us that a career can take an unexpected turn and still become a source of purpose and pride.
An artist’s impression of an old Chicago neighborhood, evoking the place where Rick’s family story took root.
Italian roots in Chicago and Tuscany
Rick is very proud of his Italian heritage and grew up in a big extended Italian family. His parents grew up across the street from one another in Chicago’s 24th and Oakley Italian neighborhood, and Rick spent much of his childhood in that same neighborhood.
His entire family is from small towns near Lucca, in Tuscany. His great-grandparents all immigrated from Italy to America in the early 1900s. The family story spans generations and places: from small towns in Tuscany to a close-knit Italian neighborhood in Chicago.
Rick has returned to Tuscany many times with his family, sharing that heritage with his wife and five children. Those trips connect his children with the place their family came from and keep the family’s Italian roots close across generations.
An atmospheric illustration inspired by Tuscany and the family’s many returns to the region.
Family life with Susan and five children
Rick has been married to Susan for 33 years. Together, they have five children: Sarah, Madeline, Alison, John and James.
Family is part of the story he shares about heritage, too. Returning to Tuscany with his wife and children has given him the opportunity to share where the family comes from, not only through stories, but also through time spent together in the region. It’s a lovely example of how traditions and family history can stay present in everyday life.
Gnocchi, brigidini and a Christmas tradition
When Rick thinks about food, homemade gnocchi bolognese is part of the picture. And at Christmas, the family has a particularly special tradition: making Tuscan brigidini cookies using piastre, or irons, made by Rick’s great-grandfather.
There is something wonderful about a family tradition that brings generations together around the same table, and in this case, around a piece of family history you can hold. The irons connect the Christmas baking to Rick’s great-grandfather, while making the cookies keeps that tradition moving forward.
An artistic rendering of brigidini cookies and the family’s heirloom piastre, not a photograph of Rick’s family or their baking.
Rick’s advice: integrity and virtue
Asked to share advice, Rick offered a principle that applies well beyond the workplace. His words are a reminder that skill and success matter, but so does the way we treat others and the choices we make when no one is watching.
Integrity and virtue is what sets you apart. There are lots of smart and successful people... but only a select few live their lives with integrity and honor. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
Thank you, Rick, for sharing your story with the CIAP community. We’re proud to spotlight members whose experiences reflect the many ways Italian-American heritage, family, and professional life can come together in Chicagoland.
Connect with CIAP
At CIAP, relationships grow through meeting, sharing experiences, and getting involved. If you’re searching for an Italian American Chicago network, or a Chicago Italian American club with a professional focus, we welcome you to connect with our community.
You can learn more about CIAP membership and explore the Business Directory to discover member businesses. We’d be happy to help you find a way to take part, whether you’re looking to meet fellow professionals, build connections, or bring more visibility to your work.
Have a member story to share, or want to learn more? Contact Salvatore at salvatore@chicagolanditalians.com. We hope you’ll stay in touch, and join us in celebrating the people who make our Chicagoland Italian-American professional community such a welcoming place.