Mark, an attorney who focuses on patent, trade-secret, and related intellectual property litigation, chairs Lindquist & Vennum’s intellectual property practice group. He also practices general commercial litigation in both state and federal courts, including matters involving breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, employment, tortious interference, defamation, and professional duties.
Mark is involved as a community volunteer, taking on leadership and mentoring roles in various organizations, including:
- Blaine Public Safety Association, Board Member, 2008-present
- Rotary, Blaine–Ham Lake Chapter, 2005–present
- Minnesota Intellectual Property FBA Subcommittee, 2006–present
- Fourth District Ethics Committee, 2006–present
- Harassment Court Mediation Program, 2003–present
- Street Legal Motorcycle Club, 2000–present
He began his career by serving as a judicial clerk for the Hon. D. Nick Caporale of the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Patent Cases:
- RSS v. The Bancorp, Inc. Negotiated dismissal of patent infringement suit regarding stored-value and debit cards.
- Digital Angel v. Datamars. Represented Datamars against patent infringement claims related to RFID tracking and identification of companion animals.
- CNS v. Silver Eagle Labs. Represented CNS in patent infringement suit against entity making and selling infringing device used to alleviate breathing restrictions in nasal passages.
- Intercat v. Nol-Tec. Represented Nol-Tec in defense of patent infringement claims involving loaders used by oil refineries to refine crude oil.
- Card Technology v. DataCard. Represented Card Technology in patent infringement suit against competitor in smart card industry.
Trademark Cases:
- Noll v. Winmark. Obtained indemnification and defense for retailer accused of trademark infringement related to manufacturer’s products.
- Brenneke GmbH v. Eldorado Cartridge Company. Represented Brenneke in trademark infringement and deceptive trade practices case against entity using Brenneke’s marks in shotgun slug market.
- Cherne Industries v. IPS Corp. Represented Cherne Industries in trade dress and trademark suit against entity selling pneumatic test plugs.
- Franklin Bank v. Franklin Bank Mortgage. Represented Franklin Bank in trademark infringement dispute with competitor.
Intellectual Property and Additional Representative Cases:
- Ecologic v. Ramachandran et al. Represented co-defendant in breach of duty suit involving patent applications.
- Inventitives, Inc. v. St. Jude Medical, AFD. Defended St. Jude Medical, AFD in alleged trade secret matter in the medical device industry.
- Cedar Fair v. Minntertainment Company. Represented Cedar Fair in multiple matters related to termination of Cedar Fair as Manager of Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America.
- Continental Clay v. Bolger Publications. Represented Bolger Publications in contract dispute over design of website.
- LCI v. Gibis. Represented LCI against former employees who misappropriated trade secrets and related confidential information to start-up a competing company.
Recent Presentations and Publications
- “Deceptive Keyword Suits Push Limits Of False Ad Claims,” Law360, Portfolio Media. Inc., September 2011
- “Protecting Trademarks From “.xxx” Domain Registration,” Lindquist & Vennum, Legal Alert, April 2011
- “U.S. Supreme Court Reminds Copyright Owners to Register Works with United States Copyright Office,” Lindquist & Vennum, Legal Alert, March 2010
- “Keyword Advertising,” chapter, originally published in The IP Book, Minnesota CLE, 2010
- “Patent Prosecutions and Subpoenas,” Continuing Legal Education Seminar, 2009-2010
- A Guide to Biotechnology Finance, 2009 Supplement, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Lindquist & Vennum, 2009
Honors and Awards
- Minnesota Super Lawyers, 2011, 2012
- Minnesota Rising Stars, 2002-2004, 2006, 2009
Community Involvement
- Blaine–Ham Lake chapter, Rotary Club, 2005–present
- Blaine Public Service Association, 2007
- Street Legal Motorcycle Club, 2000–present
- Richard T. Oakes Inns of Courts, barrister, 2005-2007
- Fourth District Ethics Committee Investigator, 2006-present
- Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Intellectual Property Committee, 2006-present
- Ramsey County Harassment Court, mediator, 2006-present
- Hennepin County Harassment Court, mediator, 2003-2005
- ECF Local Rules for U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, subcommittee, 2003-2004
- Attorney Committee on Proposed Rules for Patent Infringement, 2003