Pete has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2005; listed as an Oregon Super Lawyer in the field of Intellectual Property Litigation since 2006; selected in 2005 as “Best of the Bar” in the field of Intellectual Property; recognized as one of Portland’s Best Lawyers by the Portland Monthly Magazine; and AV rated since 1995.
Pete's practice emphasizes intellectual property litigation and counseling. Pete has guided multiple companies to acquisition of substantial patent and trademark portfolios and has prepared and prosecuted patents in such diverse fields as optical data disks, sawmill equipment, and multi-function tools.
Representative Cases:
Trademarks
Obtained summary judgment of trademark infringement and injunctive relief in U.S. District Court for chain of dental offices. Successfully defended the District Court’s decision before the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Obtained summary judgment of laches for beef jerky company against national dairy products company in U.S. District Court. The court also ordered registration of jerky company’s trademark. Successfully defended the District Court’s decisions with respect to both laches and registration before the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Obtained favorable settlement for national sportswear company in a trademark lawsuit related to the company’s primary trademark. The lawsuit was settled in Judge’s chambers on Christmas Eve.
Represented local yogurt company in trademark infringement lawsuit brought by an international yogurt company and its large U.S. licensee. A bench trial in local company’s favor resulted in money judgment and cancellation of international company’s U.S. trademark registration.
False Advertising
Obtained settlements of $8 Million and $18.5 Million for manufacturer of home exercise machines against national competitors.
Obtained consent judgment including injunction and damages for international materials handling company against competitor for falsely advertising genuine replacement parts.
Obtained $4.5 Million punitive damages for multi-function tool manufacturer in jury trial against large international tool company for false advertising.
Patents
Represented defendant Oregon saw mill accused of patent infringement. One of the patents in suit was shown to be invalid and the lawsuit was successfully settled.
Filed multiple patent infringement lawsuits for patentee multi-function tool company. Obtained successful settlements with consent judgements including injunctions and/or damages.
Filed over one dozen patent infringement lawsuits for patentee cutlery manufacturer. Obtained successful settlements with consent judgments including injunctions and/or damages.
Provided opinion of non-infringement and advised defendant’s trial counsel in patent infringement lawsuit. Summary judgment for defendant with attorney’s fees.
Trade Dress
Filed over 20 lawsuits for multi-function tool company based upon product configuration trade dress. Obtained one jury verdict of trade dress infringement and multiple successful settlements resulting in consent judgments, injunctions and aggregate damages of over $5 Million.
Copyright
Filed two copyright infringement lawsuits on behalf of publisher of lumber industry newsletter against national and regional defendants. Successfully settled lawsuits with consent judgments including injunctions against defendants and settlement damages for publisher.
Punitive Damages
Argued punitive damages case in front of Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Second chair and on briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court case regarding due process and punitive damages.
Settlement Agreement Litigation
Represented defendant in lawsuit alleging breach of Settlement Agreement. Obtained successful result wherein plaintiff paid defendant a six figure settlement.
International
Supervised and directed international trademark infringement lawsuits and opposition proceedings.
Pete is admitted to practice in the states of Oregon and Washington; the U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Oregon and Colorado. Pete is registered to practice as a patent attorney in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Pete is past Chairman of the Patent and Trademark Section of the Oregon State Bar. Other professional affiliations include the Federal Bar Association, Oregon Patent Law Association, Multnomah Bar Association, International Trademark Association, and District Court of Oregon Historical Society.
Pete earned his J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1979. He received his Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1969.
Pete was an officer in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1974 attaining the rank of captain. His interests include fishing, hunting, gardening, rafting, skiing and generally knocking around outdoors.