We specialize in intellectual property litigation in the federal and state courts and help our clients obtain patents, trademarks and copyrights to protect their products and the ideas behind them. We have spent many years helping clients protect their products & services through the United States courts.  Please read below to meet our attorneys.

Marc A. Karish
Marc A. KarishPartner
Bio

University of Southern California, J.D.
California State University, Northridge, M.S., Biology
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. History & B.A. English

Marc Karish is a patent attorney with over 20 years of experience working in litigation and intellectual property law.  Many IP lawyers are either litigators or prosecutors; few are both, and even fewer have done both recently.  Marc is in that small group. Most IP firms train associates for prosecution until it becomes more profitable to move them to litigation, where their prosecution skills quickly fade.  But in the last fifteen years, Marc has split his time evenly between IP litigation and IP prosecution.  He knows what will work in the USPTO — not from his year drafting patents as a first year associate, but from the patents he obtained for his clients in the last six months.  And he knows what will work in Court  — not by osmosis from being a member of a “team” of six lawyers on an IP case, but from the motions and arguments he has crafted from the ground up, starting with the patents, file histories and prior art and working through the applicable legal precedent to a final product crafted to make sense both legally and technically.

Marc has litigated extensively in the federal and state courts in commercial disputes and in all aspects of intellectual property.  In addition to his extensive litigation practice, Marc has spent over 15 years preparing and filing patent and trademark applications, counseling clients about their intellectual property, and advising clients on intellectual property transactions such as license agreements and purchases.

Marc has particular expertise in mechanical devices from years of work in his father’s manufacturing company, and software and Internet related technology from work as a software engineer.  Marc also has particular expertise in biotechnology and medical devices and has a Master’s degree in Biology.

Marc got his first taste of litigation in law school working for the district attorney conducting preliminary hearings in criminal matters.  Practicing in court all day, taking live testimony from witnesses up on the stand and arguing before a judge, was excellent preparation for his current litigation practice .  Out of law school, Marc worked at the Pasadena-based intellectual property boutique law firm of Christie, Parker & Hale dividing his efforts between patent and trademark litigation, patent and trademark filings, due diligence and opinion work, and client counseling.

After leaving Christie, Parker & Hale, Marc began at the Pasadena-based intellectual property boutique Sheldon Mak Rose & Anderson PC.  At Sheldon Mak, Marc honed his skills and met Eric Bjorgum.  Marc and Eric shared many ideas about the practice of law.  Eventually they decided to begin Karish & Bjorgum PC.  At Karish & Bjorgum, Marc has obtained summary judgment rulings in cases involving claims of patent infringement, civil RICO and trademark infringement, among others. It is the vision of Karish & Bjorgum to service clients’ legal needs in the entire range of intellectual property with a lean, cost-effective structure and a strong results-oriented focus that  takes into account the best overall outcome for the client.

Marc lives in Sierra Madre, California with his wife and three children.  His personal interests include media, education and the numerous sports his children are playing. Marc has been a Rotarian, youth sports coach and actively involved in the Pasadena public schools.

Southern California Rising Stars 2009
Southern California Rising Stars 2007

A. Eric Bjorgum
A. Eric BjorgumPartner
Bio

Boston College Law School, J.D., cum laude
University of California, Berkeley, B.A., Philosophy and Literature

A. Eric Bjorgum has over 20 years of experience working in intellectual property law and commercial disputes, including a two year term working closely with a federal judge as a law clerk. He has litigated extensively in both state and federal court, primarily in business litigation and in all areas of intellectual property. He has also counseled clients in obtaining copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets in order to secure their rights, avoid litigation and develop streams of revenue.

Eric began his legal career in 1996, working for Hon. David W. Hagen of the United States District Court in Reno, Nevada.

Eric then moved to Los Angeles and began working at the litigation boutique Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP. During Eric’s years there, the firm grew from a well-respected trial firm of approximately 50 attorneys to a powerhouse of over 250 lawyers spread through six offices.

Quinn Emanuel’s dynamic environment allowed Eric to gain litigation experience diverse areas such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, qui tam and RICO. In both federal and state courts, he represented clients of all types, including large organizations such as Mattel, Directv,The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Recording Academy.  He is also very familiar with litigation privilege and the “anti-SLAPP” statutes passed by dozens of states.

Eric moved on to the Pasadena intellectual property boutique Sheldon Mak Rose & Anderson PC.  There, he honed his IP transactional skills, worked on several patent lawsuits, was co-lead trial counsel on a trademark case with top plaintiff’s attorney Brian Panish, and began to develop a specialty in public art cases involving the Visual Artists Rights Act.

It was at Sheldon Mak that Eric met Marc Karish, and they decided to start Karish & Bjorgum.  Since starting Karish & Bjorgum, the firm has enjoyed several victories for its clients. Mr. Bjorgum lives in Sierra Madre, California with his wife and two children.  He has a personal interest in music and multimedia technology and has a small recording studio in his home. Eric is a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association (serving on the Music Committee for 2014 – 2015) and a Member of Pasadena Optimist Club. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles.   Eric was also named a Southern California Super Lawyer in the field of Intellectual Property Litigation by the publishers of Law & Politics Magazine.

  • Successful lead trial counsel for plaintiff/author in copyright case against self-help author.
  • Co-lead counsel (with Brian Panish) for plaintiff in trademark reverse confusion case that settled at trial.
  • Represented multi-platinum rock band in dispute over band name; rights in name assigned to Karish & Bjorgum clients.
  • Obtained summary judgment for leading online street wear retailer in commercial dispute.
  • Obtained dismissal on eve of trial in sampling case for noted electronic dance music group; dismissal upheld following argument before 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Prevailed on numerous anti-SLAPP and related motions in such diverse areas as patent infringement and criminal restitution.
  • Represented famed muralist Kent Twitchell in landmark case under Visual Artists Rights Act, resulting in $1.1 million settlement.
  • Represented major amusement park in patent infringement case involving ride system.
  • Has represented several high tech and Fortune 500 companies in anti-piracy campaigns.
  • Has prosecuted dozens of trademarks to registration.
  • Has assisted many start ups with charting their course for intellectual property protection and monetization.
  • Started clothing and print sale company with noted music photographer.

You Can Sue For That?, The Advocate (Jan. 2009).
Twitchell Legal Victory Spotlights Artists’ Rights, Coagula Art Journal (Sept. 2008)
Trying a Reverse Confusion Case, Forum (July/August 2008)
VARA and CAPA: Lessons from the Twitchell Case, Intellectual Property Today (Sept. 2008) (with Bill Brutocao)
Pursuing Truth in the Adversary System: An Ideal Criterion, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics (1996)

Daniel R. Kimbell
Daniel R. KimbellAttorney
Bio

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D.
University of California, Los Angeles, BS, Chemistry

Bar Memberships: California and Washington State

Dan is an AV rated and has been a patent and trademark prosecution and licensing attorney for over 30 years,  Over the course of his career has prosecuted and secured well over a 1,000 patents and thousands of trademarks in a wide variety of technical and business areas.  In 2013 he earned the prestigious Certified Licensing Professional® (CLP) credential.  The CLP credential acknowledges licensing professionals who have demonstrated the highest experience and proficiency in licensing and the commercialization of intellectual property and is built on internationally applicable standards of practice, knowledge, and ethics.

Dan is skilled in handling and advising companies on how to best leverage IP to improve their businesses and executes on the steps needed to accomplish client goals.

Most patent attorneys have never personally started a technology company and thus don’t fully understand the challenges faced by high tech entrepreneurs.  Dan has co-founded four startup companies.  One is Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (www.emmausmedical.com), a pharmaceutical company which he co-founded in 2000 and ran as its COO for 10 years.  During his tenure, Emmaus ran important clinical trials in the area of sickle cell disease, in-licensed and marketed third party pharmaceuticals, and began its maturation and groundwork to become a fully-fledged pharmaceutical company.  In July 2017 the company’s New Drug Application for Endari® (L-glutamine oral powder) for treating sickle cell anemia and sickle beta-0 thalassemia was approved by the FDA.  At the time of the approval, Endari® was the first new sickle cell disease drug in 20 years and the first ever drug for children.  Endari® is being sold in the U.S. and efforts are in the works to expand drug marketing approval in other countries.

Bruce Chapman
Bruce ChapmanAttorney
Bio
The George Washington University,J.D., with Honors
The University of Detroit, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude
Bruce Chapman is a trial lawyer who has served as lead counsel in multiple patent jury trials.  In over thirty years of practicing law, Bruce has represented clients in more than 100 patent litigation matters and appeals, serving as lead trial counsel in many large patent litigations.

In addition to litigation, Bruce counsels clients on the best ways to avoid and resolve disputes.  In doing so, he has negotiated numerous licenses, and provided many formal opinions regarding issues such as patent infringement and invalidity.

Bruce’s experience ranges from hard-science patents to trademarks to trade secrets to related antitrust and contract matters.  His practice spans trial courts, appellate courts, and international arbitration panels.  In the process, Bruce has represented a variety of companies involving the medical device, software, biotechnology, telecommunications, and automotive industries.

Bruce has been recognized by the Daily Journal as a Top 75 Patent Litigator and for having obtained one of the Top Defense Verdicts.  Benchmark Litigation has named Bruce a National Litigation Star.  He has also been recognized on many occasions by Best Lawyers – including as Lawyer of the Year – and by Southern California Super Lawyers.

Armand Andonian
Armand AndonianAttorney
Bio
University of Southern California, Masters Public Administration, Dean’s Merit Scholar
Whittier Law School, Juris Doctorate, Dean’s Merit Scholar
University of California, Santa Barbara, Bachelors Political Science with a Minor in International Relations

Armand Andonian has spent most of his career building and enforcing brands.  His family has owned and operated a world-famous luxury jewelry brand for 40 years, and Armand was instrumental in devising a brand enforcement strategy that became the envy of the competition.  He has experience registering trademarks, trade dress and copyrights, as well as overseeing a vast portfolio of those rights in the United States and internationally.  He has overseen a dozen litigations in the intellectual property field, and he has settled countless counterfeit, knock off and distributor disputes before commencement of litigation.  Armand thrives on getting the best possible resolution for his clients, while keeping costs and legal fees within reason.