Insights & News

Bartko LLP Earns Recognition in 2025 Best Law Firms® Rankings

We are proud to announce that Bartko LLP has been ranked in the 2025 edition of Best Law Firms®, a distinction that underscores our commitment to delivering outstanding legal services. This recognition, based on peer reviews and client feedback, highlights Bartko’s excellence across eight practice areas.

Bartko’s Patrick M. Ryan Named 2024 Top 100 Lawyer

San Francisco, CA — Bartko is proud to announce that Patrick M. Ryan, co-managing partner and head of the litigation, intellectual property, and antitrust groups, has been named to the prestigious Top 100 Lawyers list by the Daily Journal. This award highlights Patrick’s pioneering approach to complex litigation and his dedication to securing early, decisive victories for his clients.

Bartko’s Patrick M. Ryan Named Top 100 Lawyer

San Francisco, CA – Patrick M. Ryan—Bartko’s Co-Managing Partner, head of litigation, and Chair of its Antitrust and IP and Brand Protection groups, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee—was selected by the California Daily Journal as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in California” for 2023.

Arkansas Business Journal Spotlights $222.7M Trade Secrets Win

The Arkansas Business Journal recently featured Bartko Pavia LLP’s major courtroom victory in the Zest Labs v. Walmart case, where a federal jury awarded Zest Labs $222.7 million in a trade secrets retrial against the retail giant.

Bartko LLP Files Motion for Sanctions Against Walmart on Behalf of Zest Labs Over Alleged Concealed Patents

San Francisco, CA – October 25, 2024 – As featured in Law 360– Patrick Ryan, co-managing partner of Bartko LLP, and a specialist in intellectual property and trade secret litigation, has filed a motion for sanctions against Walmart Inc. on behalf of Zest Labs, Inc. The motion, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, accuses Walmart of withholding critical patent-related evidence in ongoing litigation over Zest’s proprietary shelf-freshness technology.

From the Chair

To the members of the lawyer referral and information service (LRIS) community across the country, I want to say that it is a great honor and a privilege to serve as the Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on LRIS for the coming year.  See a copy of the article here.

Bartko Pavia’s Patrick M. Ryan obtains $222 million jury verdict against Walmart

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Bartko Expands Into Chicago and Announces Addition of Principal Jason A. Zweig

San Francisco, CA – Bartko Bunzel Miller, P.C., an elite boutique litigation law firm, which specializes in complex litigation, is pleased to announce the addition of Jason A. Zweig as a Principal of the firm. Jason will be a resident in Chicago, representing Bartko’s first office outside of California.

Plaintiff Moves for Very Early Summary Judgment in Case Against Zazzle Alleging It Profited from Stolen Fonts

SAN FRANCISCO, September 22, 2022 — Late last night, one of the world’s leading graphic designers filed a very early motion for partial summary judgment—less than a month after the lawsuit was filed—against internet design and printing giant, Zazzle, Inc., in a case where she alleges that Zazzle cheated her business out of its intellectual property, which allowed Zazzle to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten profits.

Bartko Bunzel Report: The Line Between Bio and Technology

The question of what the biotechnology industry can patent ripened into a broad industry debate after two landmark Supreme Court decisions – Mayo Collaborative Servs v. Prometheus Labs., Inc. (2012) and Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International (2014).  Their collective holding – that under 35 U.S.C. § 101, inherently natural phenomena cannot be patented, even with the addition of previously known secondary technologies – led to the invalidation of numerous patents and likely narrowed the scope of what can be patented in the future. View the PDF article in its entirety.

Benjamin K. Riley Publishes Article in the Litigation Magazine on Trying a Trade Secret Case: A Road Map

Trade secret trials challenge and engage all of a trial lawyer’s essential skills and training. Dealing with state-of-the-art technology–intricate circuit designs, sophisticated manufacturing processes, or highly complex formulas–is often a huge challenge, but there are other pitfalls for the unaware lawyer. Special care must be given in these cases to issues of disclosure, discovery, the preparation of witnesses, the handling of experts and juries, and the use of graphics and technology in the courtroom. With legal and other barriers being erected in patent litigation and with the recent passage of the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, trade secret cases have moved to the forefront of technology litigation. Trade secrets litigators must understand the unique and critical strategies, requirements, and hazards presented by the trial of a technical trade secret case. View a PDF of the article.

Northern District of California Patent Litigants May Face Increased Disclosure Obligations Under Recent Interpretation of Patent Local Rules

August 2020 – Judge William Alsup has interpreted the Northern District of California’s Patent Local Rules in a manner that increases the disclosure obligations of litigants.  On August 25, 2020, the court ruled in Fluidigm Corp. v. IONPath, Inc. (Case No. C 19-5639 WHA) that a party has an obligation to amend its infringement or invalidity contentions to preserve arguments in case the Court adopts the opposing party’s claim construction.  These “back-up” contentions must be served before claim construction and failure to serve contingent “back-up” contentions can result in waiver. View a PDF copy of the update.

C. Griffith Towle Spoke at a Recent Webinar Regarding Proving Irreparable Harm in Lanham Act Cases

C. Griffith Towle spoke at a recent webinar regarding proving irreparable harm in Lanham Act cases after the Supreme Court’s decisions in eBay and Winter.

Ben Riley Speaks at LCA Trial Symposium

San Francisco:  Ben Riley was a featured speaker at the Renaissance Symposium sponsored by the Litigation Counsel of America.  The Symposium drew speakers and attendees from around the United States discussing various aspects of trying complex business and intellectual property cases.  Ben spoke on Trial Performance focusing on speaking and language techniques for Opening Statements, Direct and Cross Examination, and Closing Argument.  He also presented computer animations and graphics he has used in recent IP trials.

Ben Riley Speaks to Euroadvocaten

Ben Riley recently attended and spoke on U.S. Intellectual Property litigation at the Euroadvocaten semi-annual legal conference.  Euroadvocaten is a leading European legal network consisting of 23 independent law firms and over 800 lawyers based in 27 cities in 25 European countries.  BartkoZankel is one of only two U.S. legal firms to be invited to address the group.Mr. Riley’s presentation was highlighted in the November 2016 Euroadvocaten Newsletter