Our firm can handle your litigation, transactional, licensing, opinion, counseling, and due diligence needs regarding any of your intellectual property, as well as non-traditional consulting needs such as IP evaluation and monetizing efforts. We have years of experience providing these services regarding patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, know-how, trade dress, trade secrets, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. We have handled such matters for diverse industries, ranging from semiconductor test apparatus and medical devices to lighting equipment and internet gaming.

FIRM PRINCIPLES:

Our firm is governed three basic principles:

Excellence.

We strive for excellence in all aspects of our practice and provide the highest quality of legal service. Byers IP Law and Consulting was founded by an attorney who previously practiced for nearly a decade at one of the largest, most respected law firms, under the most respected minds in the business, representing many Fortune 100 and 500 companies in all manner of disputes. Our firm brings the benefit of that experience and skill to each matter we handle, whether it is major litigation or the smallest of consulting matters for an individual client. Ninety five percent of all of our work is handled at the partner level.

Business Understanding.

There is always a legal decision to disputes and a business decision to disputes. You may be absolutely in the right, legally, but enforcing that right may affect you more within your business than you may expect or understand. We try to make you aware of ALL considerations before you make a decision. For example, settling early may preserve precious financial resources, and possibly gain a future business partner/collaborater/ client (or at least not antagonize a competitor), but it may also signal to other potential infringers that you are an easy mark who will roll over. Conversely, refusing to settle may expend precious resources and end with a result that is less than business-desirable than what have may been brokered with a settlement (many terms can be brokered in a settlement that may never have been awarded by a judge or jury). While those examples use litigation as an object lesson, the same principles can be applied to licensing and consulting issues.

Flexibility.

Often times, corporations are looking for predictability in their legal bills. While we offer the typical hourly billable rate for most of our projects, we also offer flat rates, staggered rates (billed on a flat rate for different portions of a project – for example, taking litigation through initial investigation and filing a complaint, another flat rate for taking litigation through discovery, etc.), contingency rates, or a combination of the above. Each case presents its own set of predicaments, obstacles, and complexity, and thus there is no one-price-fits-all model, but we always strive to work within our client’s budgets and needs.

About Stephen Byers

Steven Byers

Prior to forming Byers IP Law and Consulting, Mr. Byers practiced almost a decade for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, an AM Law 100 law firm. At Pillsbury, Mr. Byers managed and directed all aspects of IP litigation, transactions, and counseling, in all areas of intellectual property, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law.   He has assisted companies such as Accuride International, Comarco, Inc., DirecTV, Health Net, Inc., Intel, Textron, Toys ‘R Us, and Troy-CSL Lighting with their intellectual property matters.

  • He was responsible for creating and implementing litigation strategy.  
  • He drafted and negotiated licenses and other agreements for trademarks, patents, and technology know-how. 
  • He has prepared numerous non-infringement and in/validity opinions for both patents and trademarks.
  • He prosecuted an extensive number of patent, trademark, and copyright applications and conducted trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trials and Appeals Board. 
  • Additionally he has advised numerous CEOs, CSOs, GCs, IP portfolio managers, technical managers, and inventors regarding a wide range of matters such as IP due diligence, developing IP portfolios, and leveraging IP assets.

Awards

SuperLawyers, Rising Star 2008

SuperLawyers, Rising Star 2009

SuperLawyers, Rising Star 2010

Education

UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, CA                                                                              1999 - 2002

Juris Doctor

 

            Activities       Student Bar Association, Social Chair 1999-2002

                        Class Council 2002

                        UCLA Journal of Law and Technology 1999-2001

                        Landlord/Tennant Law Clinic 1999-2002

UCLA, College of Letters and Science, Los Angeles, CA                                                    1996 - 1999             

Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy (with honors); Substantial Coursework in Physics and other Sciences

              

           Activities         Alpha Gamma Omega Fraternity; Vice President

                        Intern, Center for Naval Analysis, Washington DC, Fall, 1998

Admissions

Published Articles

Speaking Engagements