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Education
Honors
Awards & Honors
Mr. Bunker has received multiple awards and has been honored both nationally and internationally for his legal accomplishments:
- Named among the "Top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Managers & Patent Prosecutors" by the Daily Journal in 2015
- Recognized for his outstanding intellectual property legal work in the Managing Intellectual Property Magazine "IP Stars" Guide in 2013, 2014 and 2015
- Recognized by American Lawyer Media (ALM) as a Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property Law in 2013
- Named in the 2012 International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers
- Recognized in the 2011 IAM Licensing 250 - The World's Leading Patent and Technology Licensing Practitioners guide published by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.
- Nominated as the Who’s Who in California Legal for Trademark Representation in 2007
- Named one of the top patent law experts in Euromoney Legal Media Group's Guide to the World’s Leading Patent Law Experts in September 1999 and June 2003.
- Named one of the world's leading trademark practitioners, based on a survey of his peers, in Who's Who Legal USA: Trademarks 2006
- Received the Boy Scouts of America – District Award of Merit; Silver Beaver Award
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Professional Profile
William B. Bunker is a partner in our Orange County office. He focuses on developing and executing worldwide patent and trademark protection strategies for a wide diversity of clients – from startups to multi-national corporations. He has extensive experience in the many fields of medical devices, as well as computer implemented and internet based inventions such as financial services and various forms of business methods.
Mr. Bunker frequently advises clients on clearance matters (so called “freedom to operate” or “right to practice” analyses) as well as responding to and conducting due diligence in investment and acquisition contexts. Licensing and all forms of business transactions involving IP is a substantial portion of Mr. Bunker’s practice.
Mr. Bunker has been a contributing author on intellectual property law for the Los Angeles Daily Journal, including such topics as the GATT amendments to U.S. intellectual property laws, European Community Trade Mark system, color trademarks, doctrine of equivalents, and declaratory judgment practice. Mr. Bunker has served as a legal expert witness in various intellectual property matters.
He has lectured on intellectual property law to the World Trade Association of San Diego, the Orange County and San Diego Patent Law Associations, San Diego's High Technology Section of the C.P.A. Society, the UCSD CONNECT Program on Technology and Entrepreneurship, the High Technology Section of the Orange County Bar Association, the Tax and Business Law Section of the Riverside County Bar Association, Licensing Executives Society, and the International Bar Association.
He has lectured on various patent and intellectual property topics in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Santiago, Chile; Barcelona, Spain; Budapest, Hungary; Cancun, Mexico; Reykjavik, Iceland; Singapore; Buenos Aires, Argentine; Madrid, Spain; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Vancouver, Canada.
Mr. Bunker joined the firm in 1978 and became a partner in 1980.
Technical Expertise
Additional Information
Teaching Experience
Mr. Bunker has over 10 years of experience in teaching patents and trade secrets to law students and is currently an adjunct professor at Chapman University.
Specializing In
Cases, Articles, Speeches & Seminars
Articles
"Inter Partes Review and Post-Grant Review: New Options Under the America Invents Act to Challenge Patent Validity", Orange County Business Journal (September 2012)
“Fair Conditions,” Establishing Present, Advancements in Intellectual Property Law, Supplement to the Los Angeles Daily Journal (April 1997), co-author
Ashton-Tate 'Out-Foxed' by Copyright Application Form,” California Republic, (February 1991)
“How to Handle Representations and Warranties in Transactions Involving Intellectual Property Law,” Vol. VII, No. 4, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Fall 1992)
“An Introduction to Computer Law,” Vol. 3, No. 1, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Winter 1988)
“A Model Trade Secret License Agreement: An Example from the Biotechnology Industry,” Vol. 3, No. 4, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Fall 1988)
“Strategic Alliances: Trade Secret Protection in Joint Ventures and Partnerships,” Vol. 2, No. 1, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Winter 1987)
“How to Protect Your Client's Trademark,” Vol. 2, No. 2 , California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Spring 1987)
“A Checklist for Protecting Trademarks in the Healthcare Industry,” Vol. 2, No. 2, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner, (Spring 1987)
“A Trade Secrets Checklist for Hiring Employees from Competitors,” Vol. 1, No. 2, California's Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Practitioner (Spring 1986)
Speeches & Seminars
Co-Moderator, “Tech transfer: JV or licensing”, IBA World Life Sciences Conference, Philadelphia, PA (June 2015)
Moderator, “What are the emerging life sciences business models and what will they be in five and ten years from now?", IBA World Life Sciences Conference, San Diego, CA (June 2014)
Panelist, "Learn How to Protect Your Intellectual Property", NVTC Small Business and Entrepreneur Committee, Fairfax, VA (March 2014)
Moderator, “Why Didn’t Someone Tell Me That?”, International Bar Association Annual Conference, Boston (October 2013)
Co-Moderator, "What are the emerging life sciences business models and what will they look like in five years and ten years from now?", IBA World Life Science Conference, Dallas, TX (May 2013)
Co-Moderator, "Tech transfer tactics: Licensing in the academic and commercial realms," IBA World Life Science Conference, Dallas, TX (May 2013)
Facilitator, "Intellectual property, e-commerce and privacy", International Bar Association Conference, Dublin, Ireland (October 2012)
Panelist, "Patenting the Unpatentable: Claim Drafting After Prometheus" and "Procedures, Pitfalls and Costs: Best Practices for Securing Foreign Patent Protection", Firm-hosted IP Impact Seminar, McClean, Virginia (May 2012)
Moderator, “Patent Reform: New Sheriff in Town”, OCBA Corporate Counsel Section (April 2012)
Presenter, "Patent Reform (AIA): What You Need to Know", IP Impact 2011: Innovative Intellectual Property Strategies for Emerging Technology Companies, McClean, Virginia (September 2011)
Presenter, "Patent Reform: What You Need to Know" and "Preparing Your IP Portfolio for Investment, Acquisition, and/or Litigation Events", IP Impact 2011: Innovative Intellectual Property Strategies for Technology and Life Science Companies, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (September 2011)
Presenter, "Recent USPTO Programs", IP Impact 2010: Innovative Intellectual Property Strategies for Emerging Technology Companies, Research Triangle Park (September 2010)
Presenter, "Recently introduced USPTO pilot programs and initiatives that you can utilize to improve the quality of your IP portfolio", IP Impact 2010: Innovative Intellectual Property Strategies for Emerging Technology Companies, Silicon Valley, California (July 2010)
Moderator and Presenter, “User Generated Content on the Internet – Its Business Case, IP Rights, Litigation, and Relevant Statutes”, IBA all-day session, Madrid, Spain (October 2009)
Presenter, "Innovative IP Strategies for Emerging Companies”, Firm-hosted IP Impact Seminar, Research Triangle (Chapel Hill), NC (September 2009)
Moderator, “Licensing Practices: What Has the U.S. Supreme Court Done to your Agreements?”, USC Gould School of Law, IP Institute (March 2009)
Moderator and Presenter, “Thinking Outside the Box – Creative Defenses to IP Infringement Actions”, IBA all day session, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Fall 2008)
Moderator and Presenter, “Real IP in a Virtual World – Issues Arising Out of Virtual Characters and Scenes in On-Line Video Games,” IBA all day session, Singapore (Fall 2007)
Professional Memberships
International Bar Association – IP and Entertainment Committee
Boy Scouts of America; Orange County Council; Vice President, District Operations
Los Angeles County Patent Law Association
Orange County Patent Law Association
San Diego County Patent Law Association
Orange County Bar Association
Riverside County Bar Association
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