Nathaniel Bruno

Nathaniel Bruno is an intellectual property litigator who represents innovative clients in the proactive protection of their inventions, creative content, brands, and strategic business advantages. His diligence and the quality of his legal representation have twice earned him the firm's Clients First Award. He also serves on the firm's Pro Bono Committee, leading numerous compassionate pro bono efforts.

Areas of Practice

Mr. Bruno's core litigation practice focuses on all intellectual property disciplines.  He zealously prosecutes and defends patent, trademark, and copyright infringement matters, and trade secret misappropriation matters. Mr. Bruno also has broad experience in a variety of business litigation disciplines (including real estate, construction, white collar defense, and commercial) that contributes to his skill as a counselor and negotiator.   He has been recommended as a "highly intelligent, hard working, and compassionate advocate who consistently achieves great results for his clients."  He has also been described as having an "uncanny ability to put any client at ease no matter how difficult the circumstances may be."

Mr. Bruno has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation, serving technology, entertainment and media, fashion, retail, manufacturing, construction, financial institution, and other business and commercial clients. Mr. Bruno additionally has expertise in counseling and representing religious organizations with respect to issues pertaining to their unique services and needs. 

Mr. Bruno is active in pro bono service, having worked with programs organized or clients referred by the Children At Risk Committee of the San Diego Bar Association, the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Public Counsel of Los Angeles, Children of the Night in Southern California, the Homeless Advocacy Project of San Francisco, and the Housing Negotiation Project of San Francisco. He successfully sued a criminal pimp in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit under California's civil human trafficking prevention statute. He also assists families in the adoption of children who need loving homes.

Education

• J.D., University of California, Hastings, 2003, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Thurston Society
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 2000, high distinction

Clerkships

• Pacific Justice Institute in Sacramento

Admissions

• Bars
• District of Columbia
• California
  
  
• Courts
• Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• Northern District of California
• Eastern District of California
• Central District of California
• Southern District of California
  
  
• Bar Associations
• American Bar Association
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• Italian American Bar Association of Northern California

Representative Matters

Patent: 

• Has represented plaintiffs and defendants in the semiconductor fabrication, technology, telecommunications, industrial manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing industries in connection with patent infringement actions.
• Contributed significantly to the obtaining of a favorable settlement for a large technology client in a case involving competing claims of patent infringement.
• Contributed to the obtaining of a favorable settlement, including injunctive relief, representing plaintiff that owned a patent on a manufacturing device in the food processing industry. 
• Contributed to the obtaining of a favorable settlement for a plaintiff that held a design patent on a medical device.

Trademark: 

• Contributed to the defeat of a motion for preliminary injunction on behalf of a large Internet advertising services company that was sued for trademark infringement, resulting in a voluntary dismissal of the action. 
• Contributed to the complete dismissal of a declaratory judgment action for non-infringement of trademarks, representing a large nutritional products company.
• Contributed to obtaining a permanent injunction against an infringer of a major auto manufacturer's trademarks.
• Has also handled numerous trademark infringement cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in the industrial and sports manufacturing, software development, real estate investment, and entertainment industries.

Copyright: 

• Contributed to the obtaining of favorable settlements, including significant monetary payouts and permanent injunctive relief, in copyright infringement actions for plaintiffs in the entertainment and Internet commerce industries.
• Contributed to the obtaining of a favorable settlement for a semiconductor company accused of software copyright infringement, following a summary adjudication of non-infringement.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement for, including a monetary payment to, a major book publisher sued for alleged copyright infringement.
• Contributed to obtaining of a favorable settlement by a plaintiff suing for infringement of copyrighted software.

Trade Secret:

• Contributed to the obtaining of significant monetary settlements and enforceable non-use and non-disclosure covenants on behalf of plaintiff companies in the sports manufacturing, insurance, security services, wireless technology, and Internet commerce industries who brought lawsuits against competitors and/or former employees for misappropriation of trade secrets.

Honors

• Received law school awards for excellence in competitive oral advocacy
• Blackstone Fellow, Alliance Defense Fund
• Twice earned the firm's Clients First Award
• Recipient of the firm's Above and Beyond Award for pro bono service for 2009
• Named one of the "Ones to Watch" by Hastings magazine (Fall 2009)
• Honored as an outstanding volunteer by the Volunteer Legal Services Program of San Francisco for pro bono service for 2009, 2010, and 2011
• Recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the State Bar of California for 2009

Memberships

• City Council-appointed Commissioner, Citizens Advisory Commission for Bay Area (California) city, 2007-2010
• City Council-appointed Commissioner, Library Commission for Bay Area (California) city, 1998-2003
• Associate, J. Clifford Wallace American Inn of Court in San Diego (past)
• Associate, San Francisco Bay Area Intellectual Property American Inn of Court (past)

Articles

• To Stay, Or Not To Stay, The Recorder, December 27, 2010
• Thank You, Your Honor, Daily Journal, September 7, 2010
• Make Someone a King in the Law, October 9, 2009
• Everything Lawyers Need to Know They Didn't Learn in Law School, August 18, 2009
• Mentors: Robert Gerber, July 20, 2009
• Searching for Procedural Clues, November 26, 2008
• Service With A Smile, October 28, 2008
• Assessing Personal Jurisdiction in Patent Litigation Actions, November 1, 2007
• The Poetry of Patent Claims, June 8, 2007
• Coordinated Enforcement, March 28, 2007
• Gain the Most by Charging the Least: The Benefits of Committing to Pro Bono Service, July 25, 2006
• Fluidity of Test Factors Makes Trademark Cases Hard to Pin, February 15, 2006
• Why Trust Justice To Amateurs?, January 30, 2006
• Lawyer Sings Praises of His Practice: What a Wonderful Word, October 25, 2005
• Message in Music Copyright Disputes: Move Over, Juries, June 25, 2005

Amy Miller, Warm Fuzzies Aren't the Only Reward of Pro Bono, The Recorder, June 15, 2011 (quoted).

Nathaniel Bruno, JFK Jr. Had His Own Magic for a Younger Generation, San Jose Mercury News (July 20, 2009).

Nathaniel Bruno, Searching for Procedural Clues, The Recorder, 132nd Year, No. 231 (November 26, 2008).

Nathaniel Bruno, Service With A Smile, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Vol. 121, No. 207 (October 28, 2008).

Nathaniel Bruno, BigLaw Firm Fights for Child Prostitute in Suit Against Her Pimps, New York Lawyer (February 26, 2008).

Nathaniel Bruno, Assessing Personal Jurisdiction in Patent Litigation Actions, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Vol. 19, No. 11 (November 2007).

Nathaniel Bruno, The Poetry of Patent Claims, LAIPLA Bulletin, Issue 41 (Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, June 2007).

Nathaniel Bruno, Coordinated Enforcement, San Francisco Daily Journal, Vol. 113, No. 60 (March 28, 2007).

Nathaniel Bruno, Gain the Most by Charging the Least, The Young Lawyer, Vol. 10, No. 9 (American Bar Association, July 2006).

Robert S. Gerber and Nathaniel Bruno, Fluidity of Test Factors Makes Trademark Cases Hard to Pin, San Francisco Daily Journal, Vol. 112, No. 31 (February 15, 2006).

Nathaniel Bruno, Why trust justice to amateurs?, National Law Journal, Vol. 28, No. 21 (January 30, 2006).

Nathaniel Bruno, Lawyer Sings Praises of His Practice: What a Wonderful Word, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Vol. 118, No. 205 (October 25, 2005).

Nathaniel Bruno, Message in Music Copyright Disputes: Move Over, Juries, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Vol. 118, No. 125 (June 29, 2005).

Mr. Bruno has also written and spoken on topics of constitutional law, and is a contributor to the firm's Intellectual Property Law Blog.

Speeches

• Spoke on constitutional law topics pertaining to religious liberties at a San Diego event organized by the Alliance Defense Fund in 2004.
• Spoke at the State Bar of California's 2005 Annual Meeting, where he participated in a continuing legal education group presentation regarding special motions to dismiss.
• Addressed Bay Area Council scholars in 2010 regarding how to maintain a thriving work-life balance as a member of the legal profession.
• Panel speaker at 2011 Mix & Match seminar regarding "Making Pro Bono Connections" organized by the Silicon Valley Campaign for Legal Services.