Lawyers

NEIL A. SMITH

Partner — San Francisco, San Jose

EXPERIENCE

Mr. Smith's practice includes litigation and counseling in patent, trademark, copyright , trade secret and unfair competition matters. Mr. Smith has represented a broad range of high-technology, corporate, software, and traditional brick-and-mortar businesses in technology, publishing, multi-media, video game and consumer product businesses, and is a frequent speaker and author on Internet and intellectual property subjects. In addition to traditional IP issues, he has specialized in Internet, gray market and anti-counterfeiting subjects, including ex parte restraining orders and asset freezes.

Mr. Smith  He is peer rated AV® by Martindale-Hubbell and has been named multiple times by  the California Super Lawyers® magazine in the area of Intellectual Property.  He was was also recognized by the prestigious ranking company Chambers and Partners in its 2010 edition of Chambers USA in Intellectual Property: Copyright & Trade Secret.

Prior to joining Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, Mr. Smith was a partner at both Sheppard Mullin and for more than 25 years at an intellectual property boutique firm, where he specialized in the full range of intellectual property matters in trademark, patent, unfair competition and copyright law. Prior to moving to California, he served as a law clerk to Judge Giles S. Rich, Associate Judge, United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals in Washington, D.C., 1972-1974 (Predecessor to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit). From 1969-1972 he was a Patent Attorney for the United States Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C.