Colin T. Kemp

Clients have praised Colin for being efficient, prompt and deeply knowledgeable, and for his ability to disentangle business and legal issues while keeping client priorities at the center of his advice. A Chambers source described him simply as “a stalwart policyholder litigator.”

During more than 25 years at Pillsbury, Colin has tried insurance, patent and trademark cases, as well as criminal cases while serving as a visiting Alameda County deputy district attorney in 2005. His background in biology and philosophy helps him master technical records and present complex issues clearly to judges and juries.

Colin serves as insurance recovery litigation counsel to Snap Inc., the company behind the innovative app, Snapchat. He is coordinating and trial counsel to Victaulic Company, the worldwide leader in mechanical pipe fittings, in a broad range of litigation, including insurance recovery, intellectual property and product liability matters. He also provides strategic advice and counsel to clients such as Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the company overseeing the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history and the ongoing restoration of the Klamath River, and JUUL Labs, Inc., advising on strategic insurance, litigation and risk-management issues.

Colin is active in the San Francisco legal community. He is the 2026 President-Elect of the Bar Association of San Francisco and is scheduled to serve as President in 2027. He served for more than nine years on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s Civil Local Rules Committee, acting as a liaison between the San Francisco bar and the court on civil rules and procedure.

Colin has held a series of leadership roles at Pillsbury. Before becoming San Francisco office managing partner in 2025, he led the firm’s San Francisco Litigation Group from 2017 to 2023, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. He serves on the San Francisco Recruiting Committee and teaches in the firm’s Trial Advocacy Program.

Outside the office, Colin spends time skiing and hiking with his family in Tahoe and hunting birds with his wirehaired pointing griffons, Shirley and Granite, named after the chairlifts at Palisades Tahoe.

Intellectual Property (cont'd)

• MicroVention, Inc. v. Balt USA, LLC (U.S.D.C., C.D. Cal). Serving a trial counsel to MicroVention in two pending IP cases (one patent; one trade secret).
• Human Touch LLC v. KingKong USA, Inc. (U.S.D.C., C.D. Cal.). Served as trial counsel to KingKong in patent infringement suit concerning automated massage chairs; matter settled mid-trial at apex of uncertainty after KingKong presented compelling case of patent invalidity.
• Brighton Collectibles v. Ralphs Grocery Co. (U.S.D.C., S.D. Cal.). Served as trial counsel to Ralphs and delivered defense jury verdict on all significant claims in trademark, trade dress and copyright infringement action concerning stylized women’s handbags.
• ACCO Brands v. Comarco (U.S.D.C., N.D. Cal). Defended Comarco (patentee) in declaratory judgment non-infringement/invalidity action concerning patents claiming universal power supply equipment; briefed and argued claim construction, obtaining 100% victory on all disputed claim term construction; matter settled thereafter.

Other Representative IP Matters

• Brought anti-cybersquatting action on plaintiff’s behalf and successfully obtained a temporary restraining order preventing sale of internet domain name; defendant stipulated to permanent injunctions and transferred domain name to plaintiff.
• Defended Bridgestone Americas against a Lanham Act unfair competition action concerning an alleged character appearing in a television commercial. Action resolved prior to trial.
• Defended Winery Exchange against an action alleging trademark infringement in connection with the look and feel of Heineken’s allegedly unique beer label; action resolved prior to trial.

Biotech/Pharmaceuticals

• Represented Invitae Corp. in a patent dispute involving the company’s genetic testing for the BRCA1, BRCA2 and MUTYH genes. Case dismissed with prejudice.
• Represented BioForm Medical in domestic and international actions to determine rights under license to patents covering medical device implant materials and for infringement of licensed patents. Case resolved prior to trial.
• Defended SourceCF in Lanham Act false advertising/unfair competition action alleging marketing of an unsafe medical device for use with drugs for treatment of cystic fibrosis. Action resolved prior to trial.
• Defended Promega in action alleging infringement of patents relating to polymerase chain reaction. Obtained ruling that Roche’s “Taq” patent was unenforceable due to inequitable conduct. Remainder of action resolved prior to trial.
• Represented Amgen in action regarding rights under a license to Axel patents relating to the co-transformation of mammalian cells to produce proteins of interest. Action resolved prior to trial.
• Represented Agouron Pharmaceuticals in action to resolve a dispute regarding the royalty base under a license agreement regarding material used to make a protease inhibitor. Action resolved prior to trial.
• Represented Biosite in actions regarding patent infringement and purported termination of a license to patents claiming modular assembly of antibodies; action resolved prior to trial.

Insurance Recovery

• Victaulic Company v. American Home Assurance Co., et al. (Cal. Superior Ct., Alameda County): Represented Victaulic in the bench trial in which the judge ruled that several units of insurer AIG have a duty to defend Victaulic in underlying product liability suits, securing $55.3 million for breach of contract, bad faith and punitive damages in two successive jury verdicts, including more than $8 million in attorney’s fees and $46 million in punitive damages for Victaulic. Case resolved following reversal of verdict and remand.
• Fluidmaster, Inc. v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. (Cal. Superior Court, Orange County): Represent policyholder in coverage litigation concerning carrier’s bad faith failure to defend and indemnify.
• Passport Resorts LLC, v. AMRISC, LLC (Cal. Superior Ct., Alameda County): Represent owners of iconic Post Ranch Inn in coverage dispute for damages caused to property by U.S. Highway 101 landslides in Monterey County.
• 48123 CA Investors, LLC v. Ins. Co. of the West, Inc. (Cal. Superior Court, Alameda County): Represent the owners of Ventana Inn (i.e., the other iconic inn) in coverage dispute for damages caused to property by U.S. Highway 101 landslides in Monterey County.

• Recognized by Best Lawyers (published by BL Rankings LLC), Litigation – Intellectual Property (2021–2026).
• Coauthor of the Practising Law Institute’s treatise, “A Practical Guide to Life Sciences Companies, Commercializing and Protecting Innovation,” and primary author of the treatise’s 12 chapters on patent litigation.

• Associations & Committees

  • Member, Advisory Committee on Civil Rules & Practice, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Local Rules Attorney Advisory Committees | United States District Court, Northern District of California (uscourts.gov)) (2016–present)

  • Member, Judiciary Committee, Bar Association of San Francisco (2020–2022)

  • Member, Board of Directors, Bar Association of San Francisco (2017–2019)

  • Member, Board of Directors, Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco (2014–2016)