Rutan & Tucker, LLP

The growth of information-centered national and world economies places ideas, technology, information, and creativity at center stage in virtually every business enterprise. As a result of this growth, Intellectual Property issues have also been thrust onto center stage in commercial transactions, business planning and operations, and in business disputes. Rutan & Tucker, LLP assists its clients with every legal aspect of the creation, preservation, exploitation, and protection of Intellectual Property. R&T's Intellectual Property and Technology Group attorneys advise publicly traded and privately-held companies, start-up and emerging growth companies, governmental entities, and individual clients upon the full range of these issues. Our expertise includes development, registration, financing, licensing, transfer, and protection of Intellectual Property, and technology.

Rutan & Tucker has expertise in trademarks, trade dress, internet domain names, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, confidential information, data and information ownership, use and management, rights of publicity, rights to use personal image, likeness and identity, and closely related unfair competition, advertising and antitrust issues. Our expertise in these areas encompasses formative and ongoing operational business plans, mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, employment and workplace issues, as well as independent contractor relationships, competitive business practices, business environments, litigation, software and other technology licenses or transfers, marketing and advertising. We handle every kind of Internet-based activity, including Web hosting and maintenance transactions and all types of business-to-consumer and business-to-business e-commerce transactions.

Our attorneys also represent clients in disputes relating to Intellectual Property and technology ownership and licensing, copyright infringement, patent validity and infringement, trademark infringement and dilution, trade secret theft, employment-related IP misappropriation, cybersquatting, e-commerce disputes, unfair competition, advertising liability, breach of confidence, misappropriation of character, likeness, or identity, and antitrust, insolvency, bankruptcy and insurance issues arising in connection with such disputes. Our Intellectual Property trial attorneys have the experience to successfully conduct federal and state litigation, arbitration and mediation, and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. However, to help keep our clients out of litigation, we provide counsel and assistance aimed at preventing litigation. Such counsel includes trade secret protection programs, Intellectual Property audits, due diligence analysis of competing or prior Intellectual Property use or rights, trademark or copyright registration, and contractual protections such as licensing agreements, confidentiality agreements, work for hire contracts, noncompete agreements, and exclusive dealing arrangements.

Rutan & Tucker's experience and capability extends not only to those industries more traditionally associated with Intellectual Property needs, including software, Internet, computer, biotech and health care, sports and entertainment, media, advertising, and telecommunications industries, but also to more traditionally "low tech" enterprises, such as real estate development, shopping centers, retail businesses and even local governments and government agencies.

The Rutan Intellectual Property practice group has the depth of IP knowledge more commonly associated with boutique IP firms. Our lawyers understand the commercial issues and pressures that arise from IP disputes or related negotiations, and provide innovative and strategic solutions to deal with them. We are well-prepared to assist you in any dispute involving patents, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights, rights of publicity, false advertising and unfair competition and patent mismarking. Whether it is the enforcement of IP rights or defending claims of infringement, we will assist you in devising strategies designed to help you manage risk, continue growth, and protect market share. We represent our clients in state and federal courts, alternative dispute resolution forums and before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board.

Rutan & Tucker recruits, retains and promotes talented professionals from a variety of backgrounds and skill sets, resulting in a culture that thrives on a variety of perspectives. Diversity is a valued and important part of our culture and our community. Our work environment is characterized by respect for others, encouragement for all to excel and equal opportunity for everyone.

Recognizing the significant benefits and value of a diverse work force, Rutan & Tucker is committed to increasing the diversity of our law firm in a manner that promotes the firm's core values of excellence, teamwork, and integrity. As the largest full-service law firm based in Orange County, California, Rutan has played an active role in the County's maturation into a world-class metropolitan area that reflects the richness of California's cultural diversity. We strive to achieve that same result within our law firm, acknowledging that diversity benefits our firm, our clients, and our community.

Diversity at Rutan means more than a guarantee of equal opportunity in hiring, compensation, promotion and career development. Rutan's commitment to diversity is a permanent and ongoing part of firm management, as embodied in Rutan's Recruiting and Diversity Committees. Our Recruiting Committee's efforts to bring outstanding new lawyers of varied backgrounds to Rutan have resulted in new associate classes consisting of more than 50 percent women and 33 percent persons of color over the past five years.

The Diversity Committee's primary task is to assist in retaining and promoting women attorneys and associates of all cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles who might face particular challenges in a traditional law firm environment. We are pleased that a growing number of Rutan's partners are women and minorities.

The firm and its Diversity Committee promotes mentorship, and senior attorneys conduct small group meetings with associates to encourage open dialogue on issues of concern. The Diversity Committee also encourages participation in wide-ranging activities that promote diversity outside of the firm, such as those sponsored by the Orange County Diversity Task Force (of which Rutan is a founding member) and minority bar associations.

At Rutan, our commitment to diversity is inseparable from our commitment to excellence.