Steve’s practice focuses on the protection, licensing, distribution, and commercialization of clients’ core technology assets. Advising client on how best to leverage their technology during mergers and acquisitions is a priority. Additionally, he provides data security best practices to help clients stay in compliance and avoid pitfalls. He has represented and counseled clients on a wide variety of industries, including:
- Industrial design and engineering companies
- Software and smartphone app developers
- Hospitals and clinics
- Software as a service (SaaS) companies
- Equipment manufacturers
- Video Game Publishers
Distinctions
- The Best Lawyers in America© Technology Law, 2008-2021
- Selected as a "Lawyer of the Year" (Technology/Seattle) by The Best Lawyers in America©, 2021
- Best in the Business: Leading Lawyers in the Puget Sound Region, Seattle Business magazine, Technology, 2013
- Top Lawyer, Seattle Metropolitan magazine, 2010
- Washington Super Lawyers list, Intellectual Property Law, 2009-2010
- League of Justice, Washington CEO magazine, 2006
- Martindale-Hubbell AV rating
Memberships
- Washington State Bar Association
- Member, Business Law, Intellectual Property Law Sections
- King County Bar Association
- Chair, Technology and the Law Committee, 2003-2005
- Keiretsu Forum, Monthly Roundtable Screening Committee, 2011-2012
- Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA)
- First Look Forum Committee, 2014-2016
- Video Game Committee, 2014-2016
- Northwest Entrepreneur Network, Board of Directors
- Seattle University Entrepreneurship Center, Albers School of Business, Business Plan Competition, Coach and Mentor to MBA student teams, 2010-2018
- University of Washington, Foster School of Business, guest lecturer in the MBA Entrepreneurship Program, 2018
- Economic Development Council of Seattle-King County, High Technology Recruitment Advisory Taskforce, 2003-2004
- East King County Bar Association
- President, 1991
- Vice President, 1990
- Board of Trustees, 1987-1992
- Citizens for Regional Justice Centers, Steering Committee and Legal Counsel for Levy Proposition, Member
- Bellevue Boys & Girls Club and AAU, Basketball Coach, 1990-2000
• Outside counsel to Code.org, a computer science education 501c3 nonprofit, including character licensing and celebrity endorsements for its annual Hour of Code promotion, including contracts with Disney (Frozen), Lucas Films (Star Wars), Microsoft (Minecraft), Rovio (Angry Birds), PopCap Games (Plants vs Zombies) as well as with Facebook and Google.
• Acted as outside legal counsel to Picnik, the leading online photo-editing application, through the acquisition by Google in March 2010. Work included negotiating web integration agreements with Yahoo!, Facebook, MySpace and Picasa/Google.
• Acted as local counsel to Silicon Valley-based Connectix Corporation in the sale of Virtual PC for to Microsoft Corporation.
• Represented a major international video game publisher of massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) in the negotiation of a game development and publishing agreement with a Washington state-based video game developer.
• Negotiated the sale of the Yellowstone Club, a private golf and ski resort in Montana, out of bankruptcy court. The sale to a private equity firm, Boston-based CrossHarbor Capital Partners, was for a total sale price of $115 million.
• Represented a Walla Walla winery & vineyard in securing angel investor funding.
• Acted as local counsel to Roper Industries in its acquisition of Verathon, a Bothell Washington medical device manufacturer.
• Represented T-Mobile in web content placement agreements, multiple software license agreements and master service agreements with smartphone device manufacturers.
• Represent a WNBA team, in negotiating its initial acquisition, league franchise agreement, facilities lease, principal jersey sponsorship and trademark licensing arrangements as well as an NFL franchise in negotiating one if its principal sponsorships.
• Represented Tully's coffee company in negotiating its principal U.S. and international trademark license and product distribution agreements with Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee.
• Represented SousVide device manufacturer, which held the Kickstarter record for raising $823,000.
Publications & Presentations
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January 25, 2021
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Publications & Presentations
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Preventative Maintenance for Your Business - The Owner’s Manual
Speaker, 2nd Annual Walla Walla Business Summit
April 2014
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Publications & Presentations
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Legal Issues for Startups: Working with Outsourced Software Developers
Speaker, SURF Incubator
2012
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Publications & Presentations
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Legal Issues for Startups: Licensing of Software and Software as a Service (SaaS)
Speaker, SURF Incubator
2012
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Publications & Presentations
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Sustainability Summit
Speaker, Seattle University School of Law, Program Chair, Continuing Legal Education Seminar
2010
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Publications & Presentations
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Licensing, Contracts & Agreements, Web Hosting
Speaker, Web Design and Development Seminar Series, 2001
2001
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Publications & Presentations
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Preventing Piracy in the Digital Age
Speaker, American Corporate Counsel Association, 2001
2001
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