Press Release
Press Release
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Meyer
05.01.26
Pillsbury has further enhanced its expansive tech-focused capabilities with the addition of Intellectual Property litigator and trial lawyer Robert L. Uriarte as a partner in its Los Angeles office. Uriarte has helped establish landmark precedent under the Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, California Penal Code 502, and Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and he has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict, including under the Patent Act. He joins the firm from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.
“Pillsbury’s IP practice has been in high demand as clients face increasingly complex disputes fueled by advances in technology and data,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “Rob brings experience across software, cybersecurity and emerging digital issues, along with proven trial capabilities, making him an exceptional fit for our platform and the evolving needs of those we represent.”
Uriarte’s practice focuses on software, security technologies and cutting-edge issues in internet law and digital crime. He advises companies ranging from established market leaders to emerging growth businesses on intellectual property, security and incident response matters, and helps clients develop, acquire and protect their most important assets. Beyond litigation, this work includes architecting anti-piracy and licensing compliance programs, developing anti-cybercrime playbooks and advising on digital enforcement proceedings.
In addition to his commercial practice, Uriarte maintains a strong commitment to pro bono service. He received the Legal Aid Association of California’s Family Law Pro Bono Award in 2015 and served on the board of directors for the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society for many years.
“Rob is a formidable courtroom advocate with a deep understanding of the technologies driving today’s disputes,” said Michael Zeliger, Pillsbury’s Global Head of Intellectual Property. “His experience across complex IP litigation, cybersecurity and other advanced technologies—and in digital crimes and anti-piracy enforcement matters, in particular—enhances our ability to help clients navigate and address new risks as they continue to innovate.”
Uriarte’s arrival marks the latest step in Pillsbury’s strategic growth. Since 2024, the firm has added 57 partners globally, including Uriarte. Other recent additions to Pillsbury’s Intellectual Property practice include patent litigator Bob Hollingshead (Tokyo); IP strategist and first-chair litigator Brian Paul Gearing, Ph.D. (New York and Washington, DC); distinguished intellectual property and technology lawyer Steven James (London); nationally recognized IP trial lawyer Mark Abate (New York); and seasoned patent and trademark practitioner J. Rick Taché (San Diego).
Uriarte is also the third notable partner to join the firm’s Los Angeles office in that time, following recently arrived Insurance Recovery & Advisory partners Kirsten Jackson and Jeff Kiburtz.
“Clients today are operating in an environment where innovation, data and risk are deeply intertwined,” Uriarte said. “Pillsbury has built a platform that is uniquely positioned to handle these challenges, and I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the firm to deliver practical, business-focused solutions in high-stakes IP and technology disputes.”
On the cutting edge of IP for more than 120 years, Pillsbury’s intellectual property lawyers provide clients with successful and comprehensive IP strategies to protect, manage and optimize IP assets. The firm’s lawyers also assert and defend infringement claims and resolve IP-related disputes before regulatory bodies, in courts and at the negotiating table. The team includes more than 70 IP lawyers—many bilingual—plus technical consultants, patent agents and former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office examiners. Many team members are scientists and engineers with advanced degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, physics and numerous other technical disciplines.