Mark V. B. Partridge

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Robotic warriors, space aliens, science fiction.

To some, that's entertainment. For Mark Partridge, it's a typical day in court.

Partridge practices where technology and brand protection converge: in cyberspace. He focuses on Internet issues, including ICANN UDRP domain name disputes and ACPA litigation; online entertainment and gaming; computer software; nanotechnology; and corporate transactions, including purchase agreements, assignments and licensing.

An experienced trademark and copyright lawyer, Partridge has handled trials and appeals, served as an expert in copyright, trademark and domain name matters, acted as a mediator in copyright, trademark and domain name disputes, and led the IP team in corporate transactions valued at billions of dollars.

He's equally at ease with clients whose products are tangible, like the food and beverage industry, educational publishing, healthcare, toys, apparel and sporting goods, as well as intangible, like hedge funds, credit card services, and financial transactions.

Partridge works strategically with growing businesses to provide brand protection, content licensing and an Internet presence. "Intangible assets comprise more than 80% of corporate value. I work with CEOs, management and business owners to create strategies and tactics to protect and build that value," he explains.

Partridge protects the assets of companies both small and large. In one case, he helped the founder of a small software firm transform his consulting business--earning hourly fees--into a product-based company supported by copyright protection and licensing strategies. For a global Internet entertainment business, he worked with management to develop and implement a global trademark registration and domain name strategy centered on a single famous brand. "With strategies like these, companies can increase corporate valuation dramatically," Partridge notes.

In 1998, he was selected by the World Intellectual Property Organization as an expert on the Internet Domain Name Process. In 1999, he was selected to serve as an initial member for the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, Domain Name Dispute Resolution Service. As a WIPO Panelist for ICANN disputes, Partridge has issued over 150 published decisions resolving Internet domain name disputes. He uses that experience as an advocate and advisor to help clients achieve successful results in cybersquatting disputes. His cases have involved famous marks in the food, sporting goods, medical products and semiconductor industries.

"My job is to find effective, creative solutions to achieve my clients' goals," Partridge says. Often this involves quick resolutions. In other cases, he identifies solutions that cover the cost of the litigation. "In one dispute, we used mediation to recover far more in settlement than we were likely to recover at trial, by demonstrating our thorough preparation before trial. In another, we used a statutory damage claim under ACPA to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars from a serial cybersquatter."

"Clients need attorneys who understand their businesses and solve their problems," Partridge explains. "Last year, I participated in a client's strategic planning retreat without charge because I knew the insight I gained would make me a better lawyer and help me serve the client more effectively." Partridge is also a regular participant in CEO peer groups as a member and speaker on intellectual asset management.

That kind of dedication pays off. "I care about good work and I care about my clients. I know the law and understand the facts of the matters I handle," Partridge comments. "In the end, we win by being better prepared and more knowledgeable than our opponents." Partridge may poke his head into cyberspace, but his feet are firmly planted in the real world.