Tom Pardini

Partner

415.630.7300

tom.pardini@gishllp.com

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Tom Pardini represents clients in intellectual property litigation and other commercial disputes, with a focus on trade secret and patent infringement matters. He is experienced with all phases of complex litigation in federal and state court, from pre-litigation investigation through trial. Tom’s clients range from global technology companies in high-profile intellectual property disputes to executives navigating employee mobility conflicts. His cases have involved a variety of technologies, including autonomous vehicles, LIDAR, mobile applications, computer hardware and software, semiconductors, and video streaming.

Biography

Tom has litigated both trials and arbitrations to successful verdicts and has played a central role on numerous trial teams. He brings a high-level strategic perspective to his cases, distilling difficult technical concepts to the most essential points that can best persuade a judge or jury. Tom has developed and executed successful legal strategies in federal district court, California state court, and arbitration. He won summary judgment in a patent infringement case, securing a ruling of non-infringement on all asserted patents, and obtained a complete dismissal of all claims against technology executives in a breach of contract dispute. He has repeatedly been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Patent Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation.

Experience

Won summary judgment of non-infringement for all patents at issue on behalf of Uber in patent infringement litigation.
Obtained dismissal of all claims brought against CrowdStrike executive officers in intellectual property breach of contract dispute.
Successfully defended multiple artificial intelligence start-up companies against patent infringement lawsuits, securing complete dismissal of all claims with no settlement payments.
Won jury verdict in federal court on behalf of board game company, securing client’s ownership of intellectual property in acquisition dispute.
Defended Uber in high-profile Waymo v. Uber trade secrets trial regarding autonomous vehicle technology, reaching settlement during trial.
Represented mobile application Quibi in trade secrets and patent infringement litigation regarding video streaming, including defeating several preliminary injunction motions.
Defended Dell in patent infringement dispute on eight patents regarding laptop technology.
Represented Fortune 500 semiconductor company in patent infringement case regarding semiconductor technology.
Defended leading commercial real estate developer in dispute regarding tower construction in San Francisco, reaching favorable settlement during trial.

Tom previously practiced in the IP Litigation groups at Morrison Foerster and Farella Braun + Martel in San Francisco. He graduated from Harvard Law School with the Dean’s Scholar Awards in Constitutional Law and Legal Profession. Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with High Honors.

Tom also has extensive pro bono experience with an emphasis on Constitutional law. He represented a prisoner challenging a non-unanimous jury conviction in a Sixth Amendment matter, as well as a family pursuing claims of an unlawful search under the Fourth Amendment.

Publications

“AI and the Fair Use Defense: Lessons from Two Recent Summary Judgment Rulings,” (Law.com)
“AI and Trade Secrets: A Complicated Friendship,” (Daily Journal)
“Failures are Valuable IP: Protect Your Start-Up’s Negative Trade Secrets,” (TechCrunch)
“What Patent Bills Would Mean for Infringement Litigation,” (Law360)
“7 Ways Companies and Content Creators Can Navigate Copyright Law for a Successful Partnership,” (The Intellectual Property Strategist)

Education

2016

Harvard Law School

J.D., Dean’s Scholar Awards in Constitutional Law and Legal Profession

2012

University of California, Berkeley

B.A., History, High Honors

Admissions

State Bar of California

District Court for the Northern District of California

District Court for the Central District of California

District Court for the Eastern District of California

District Court for the Southern District of California

District Court for the Middle District of Georgia