Robert is a business litigator, trial and appellate attorney. He represents clients in federal and state courts and arbitrations throughout the United States. His 25-plus years of expertise covers a diverse area of business, partnership, and employment matters. Robert is recognized as one of California’s leading intellectual property lawyers with expertise in patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks. He also is dedicated to sharing his knowledge of new trends in the law as a frequent lecturer.

Robert’s decades of courtroom advocacy skills now make him a trusted advisor to business owners from start-ups to mid-market and large firms. He is frequently sought out by C-Suite executives, employees, and independent creators looking for experienced, strategic, and effective solutions in complex business as well as litigation matters.

As a passionate supporter of the performing arts, Robert chairs the Board of Directors of Kaleidoscope, a Southern California chamber music orchestra. He is also deeply involved in advancing education opportunities for young adults from diverse communities and serves on the Foundation Board of his New York State undergraduate college.

Before becoming an attorney, Robert was an investigator with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and spent a season at sea as a commercial fisherman in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Noteworthy Litigation:

• Leadfactors, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (San Jose, California) Resurrected on appeal a trade secret case that was dismissed on summary judgment (2018) and procured a $3,000,000 stipulated judgment for the client. (2022)
• Fuse Technologies, Inc. v. Network Travel, Inc. (Los Angeles County Superior Court) Favorably settled trade secret claims asserted against the client. (2022)
• Monarch Medical Technologies, Inc. adv. Glytech, LLC (U.S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of S. Carolina) Favorably resolved a trade secret lawsuit with a competitor in the medical services industry. (2021)
• Ivalua, Inc. adv. Periscope Holdings, Inc. (NY State Court, Manhattan) Favorably resolved a Silicon Valley-based software client’s claims and defense of crossclaims in matter involving alleged trade secret misappropriation. (2021)
• Grupo Cultural AfroReggae v. Google, Inc. (Santa Clara County Superior Court, San Jose, California) Favorably resolved for a Brazilian non-governmental organization a breach of contract and fiduciary lawsuit alleging Google’s failure to provide the NGO with credit for a digital mapping project in the Rio de Janeiro favelas (slums) leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics. (2018)
• Represented Good Technology Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based mobile enterprise software company, in multiple patent lawsuits in California, New York, Texas, Delaware, and Georgia, and advised the company on its patent litigation in the United Kingdom (London) and Continental Europe (Germany, Finland, and Sweden). (2014 – 2018)
• Angelin v. Brescia, California Court of Appeal, Case No. B213088 (Los Angeles County Superior Court) Won an appeal for the client, vacating a $4.9 million jury award which resulted in a favorable settlement of the trade secret claims. (2012)
• Transglobal Comm. Group, USA v. Stone Sapphire, Ltd., U.S. Dist. Court (US District Court, Central Dist. of California, Los Angeles). Won summary judgment dismissal of a copyright infringement lawsuit. (2010)
• Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc., v. Martin Worldwide, Inc., U.S. Dist. Court Case (U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of California, Los Angeles). Successfully defended and resolved a multi-million-dollar trademark infringement lawsuit. (2010)

Honors

• Top Trade Secret Lawyers 2019, Daily Journal, California
• Intellectual Property Litigation, Super Lawyers, Southern California (2013 to present)

Law Association Memberships:

• Los Angeles Copyright Society
• Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA)
• Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Board Memberships

• Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles, Chair (2020 – present)
• State University of New York, Geneseo, Foundation Board (2022 – present)

Speaking Engagements:

• Los Angeles County Bar Assn. Intellectual Property Law Association, Employee Mobility: Goodbye Intellectual Property!? (2020)
• Daily Journal Trade Secrets Forum: Trade Secrets, Cross Border Disputes, and Global Best Practices, San Jose, California (2019)
• California Trade Secret Law, Bridgeport Continuing Education
  • Prosecuting and Defending Trade Secret Cases (2016, 2014, and 2012)
  • Drafting Trade Secret Complaints (2015)
  • Trade Secret Law Conference (2014)
• Rio Content Market, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Copyright Law: Brazil and the United States (2017)
• Motion Picture Assn. of America, Los Angeles, VOD and Innovation in the US and Beyond (2016)
• Institute of Attorneys of Sao Paulo, Brazil, “Site Blocking” on the Internet; A US Perspective (2016)
• Rio de Janeiro Bar Assn. (OAB/RJ), US Data Privacy and Security (2016)
• Rio Content Market, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, A Global Perspective on Intellectual Property (2016)