Business Law

Privately-held companies at any stage of development.

Intellectual Property (IP)

Businesses with trademark, trade secret, or copyright concerns.

CA, Jun 1984
Bar Number: 113218

All California state and federal courts, U.S. Court of International Trade, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

State Bar of California

In addition to attending programs on intellectual property, business and international law topics, I track current developments in order to teach classes on International Business Transactions and on European Union Law at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where I have been an Adjunct Professor since 1990.

Profili processuali del commercio elettronico, Rivista Trimestrale di Diritto e Procedura Civile, p. 73 (Giuffrè, 2002)

Lex Mercatoria in European and U.S. Trade Practice, 2 Annual Survey of International and Comparative Law (G.G.U.) 111 (1995)

Ironing the Wrinkles Out of International Transactions, Export Today, Vol. 8, No. 3 (1992)

Legal Concerns for Exporters of Agricultural Products, (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Audiotape Seminar, 1992)

International Sales Are Subject To U.N. Convention, Export Today, Vol. 7, No. 9 (1991)

More On Service Abroad, California International Law Section Newsletter, v. 2, n. 2 (1989)

I value long-term client relationships more than single cases. I have represented a number of my Bay Area clients for over 15 years, including a freight forwarder, a commercial printer, a manufacturer of outdoor equipment, and an importer/retailer of men's clothing.

Major single assignments include the sale of a privately-held German chemicals company to a pre-IPO company located in California, and the 10-week negotiation of an ASP hosting and sales relationship with IBM on behalf of a database search provider.

My foreign clients sell many types of products and services in the U.S., including software, building materials, food, and consumer goods, through subsidiaries, distributors and agents.

1

California

I began my sole practice in 1985, focusing on business counseling for individuals and companies, especially those with foreign ownership, customers or suppliers. Protection of intellectual property, particularly trademarks and copyright, is a key component of the business strategy for these companies, and now occupies a central position in my practice.

After working both in-house and at small firms, I decided early on to open my own practice to focus on business, intellectual property, and international transactions.

I lecture frequently on intellectual property and business law topics, in addition to the classes that I teach at Golden Gate University in San Francisco (see "Significant Continuing Education"). In Mainz, Germany, I give an annual short course on U.S. Trademark Law, and I give lectures in Italian several times a year at a number of Italian universities, including those located in Venice, Bologna, Pavia, and Turin. In 2005, I was named one of Northern California's "Super Lawyers" in a poll of 46,000 lawyers.

Not at this time

(415) 788-7009

Live phone receptionist
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Yes

Italian

U.S. Federal Trademark Registration Application: $550 plus filing fees; hourly rate after response to first Office Action (assumes no conflicting marks found in initial search); California corporation or LLC formation $1,500.00, plus filing fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

$375: estimated budgets are common and a welcome part of client communication

Free for one-half hour

$3,000 - 5,000 depending on assignment