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Overview

Steve Bullock is Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group.  He has handled numerous trademark and copyright infringement claims for national, regional, and local clients in a large variety of industries and trades.  Steve's practice also includes litigating and advising clients in other types of commercial matters, rendering arbitration and mediation services, and litigating products liability claims.

Steve leads the firm in providing legal assistance to the local community through the Homeless Experience Legal Protection (H.E.L.P.) project, while also teaching Copyright Law on a pro bono basis at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.  He takes pride in leading these endeavors as they enable him to contribute in a small way to the needs of our society’s most vulnerable through legal services and to educate and train the next generation of lawyers.

Representative Matters

  • Represented owners of insurance company in dispute with co-owner regarding illegal holding company foreclosure.
  • Represented professional sports franchise in copyright dispute regarding mascot images.
  • Represents major national university in dispute with liability insurer relating to coverage in case involving nullity of patent license.
  • Represented grocery wholesaler in domain name dispute.
  • Represented national wholesale distributor of arts and crafts products in contractual dispute with foreign brand owner.
  • Advised international tour guide company regarding compliance with trademark concurrent use agreement and related matters.
  • Represented designer and manufacturer of interior furnishings in copyright and trademark disputes.
  • Represented book author in negotiating contract with motion picture producer.
  • Represented restaurant owner in trademark dispute with regional restaurant chain and in negotiating settlement agreement.
  • Advised investment advisor firm regarding service marks and in obtaining a maintaining federal registrations.
  • Represents testing laboratory in breach of contract and unfair trade practices claim against defaulting vendor of testing products required to fulfill federal government contract.
  • Defended homeowners in lawsuit brought by national homebuilder for alleged copyright infringement of architectural design.
  • Advised major national university in matters relating to public records laws.
  • Acted as intellectual property counsel for national franchisor of art instruction and entertainment studios in both litigation and non-litigation matters.
  • Defeated trademark infringement claim brought by Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana seeking to restrain national advocacy organization's maintenance of billboard parodying State's tourism logo.
  • Represented former bank official in dispute with directors and officers and professional liability insurers.
  • Represented major national university in defense of complex class action and individual actions brought by relatives of persons donating their bodies to the university's medical school for medical education and research purposes.
  • Represented a national insurance company in trademark infringement case, prevailing on summary judgment and entered injunction by consent decree.
  • Represents major national university in contractual dispute with patent licensee over royalties.
  • Represented a rug manufacturer in action against rug wholesalers for design infringement and prevailed in appeal to U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Peel & Co. v. The Rug Market, 238 F.3d 391 (5th Cir. 2001).
  • Represented national non-profit service organization in trade name dispute with competitor.
  • Obtained federal court permanent injunction by consent decree in service mark infringement case in favor of national franchisor of electrical repair, installation and related contracting services.
  • Represented ship manufacturer and procured remand to state court of lawsuit removed to federal court based on counterclaim for copyright infringement.
  • Defended national manufacturer and distributor of infant and toddler products in federal trademark litigation.
  • Represented local carpet company in defending trademark infringement claim asserted by national retail electronics chain.
  • Represented a NASCAR racing team in action brought by a national sponsor for trademark infringement in using sponsor's trademark on racecar after sponsor purported to cancel sponsorship agreement.
  • Represented attorney disciplinary authority as copyright counsel and in arbitration relating to defective telephone system.
  • Represented a national food manufacturer in trade dress dispute with competitor regarding product packaging, including claim of exclusivity in use of color.
  • Represented a produce wholesaler in trade dress action alleging infringement of packaging and display materials.
  • Represented a refrigeration wholesaler in a suit against a competitor seeking injunctive relief and damages for trade name infringement.
  • Represented a major insurance company in a suit brought by the Louisiana Insurance Commissioner seeking declaration that elements of Louisiana law creating the Division of Administrative Law and procedures for conducting and appealing administrative hearings are unconstitutional. Prevailed in Louisiana Supreme Court. Wooley v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, 04-0882 (La. 01-19-05), 893 So.2d 746; 2006 La. App. Lexis 292 (La. App. 1 Cir. 02/10/06).
  • Represented the FDIC in pursuing recoveries for professional liability arising out of the failure of a number of financial institutions in the State of Louisiana.
  • Represented major national university in lawsuits seeking to recover for breach of patent licensing agreement by Swiss and French pharmaceutical companies.
  • Served as chairman of arbitration panel, sole arbitrator or panel member and as mediator in scores of cases involving a wide variety of topics and claims, including a number of cases involving intellectual property issues.
  • Represented a software developer in copyright infringement action wherein the client was alleged to have infringed competitor's file format.
  • Represented a local fast food chain in dispute with national chain alleging trade dress and copyright infringement in design and configuration of building housing retail outlets.
  • Advised major insurance companies regarding trade name/service mark infringement issues.
  • Represented a regional bank in a suit to enjoin a national insurance company from using a service mark to identify its variable annuity on grounds that the defendant's mark was confusingly similar to the federally registered service mark used to identify its line of mutual funds.
  • Represented local furniture manufacturer defending claims by national furniture manufacturer for trademark and trade dress infringement.
  • Represents clients in opposition and proceedings before n the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board involving various types of businesses including the restaurant, food manufacturing, entertainment and beverage industries.
  • Represented local carpet retailer in dispute with national electronics retailer in trademark dispute.
  • Represented Louisiana bank in negotiating, structuring and concluding settlement of claims by other banks relating to losses incurred on participations in loans originated by the client bank.
  • Represented manufacturers of respiratory protective equipment in mass tort asbestos and silica cases over a period of 25 years.
  • Represented pump manufacturer defending Louisiana asbestos litigation.
  • Represented national grocery chain in service mark infringement lawsuit resulting in entry of consent judgment imposing permanent injunction against adverse party.
  • Represented energy investment company in appeal of judgment exceeding $100 million based upon unfair trade practices.
  • Represented major construction materials manufacturer as plaintiff in RICO action brought against claims service representing class action settlement claimants in asserting claims..
  • Represented Oregon Insurance Commissioner in connection with the liquidation of an insurance company domiciled in Oregon with business centered in Louisiana.

Professional & Civic Activities

Professional and Civic Activities

  • International Trademark Association representative, with service on Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Pro Bono Committee, Copyright Committee and as Co-Chair of Academic Committee.
  • Mediation training from the Attorney-Mediators Institute, the Association of Attorney-Mediators and advanced training at the Pepperdine University Law School Straus Institute.
  • American Arbitration Association Commercial and Consumer Arbitration Panels and Mediation Panel.
  • Served on the Panel of Neutrals of the International Trademark Association.
  • Serves as arbitrator in the Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Dispute Resolution Program.
  • Louisiana State Bar Association.
  • Louisiana Bar Foundation.
  • Volunteer for various charitable organizations, and served on the Board of Directors of WRBH Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped.

Teaching Positions

  • Since 1999, Steve has served as an adjunct professor on the faculty of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law teaching the school's course in Copyright Law and for several semesters teaching the course in Arbitration and Mediation.
  • Taught course in Negotiation and Mediation as a member of the adjunct facility at Tulane University Law School from 2004 until 2016.

Honors & Awards

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America 2010 – 2024.
    • "Lawyer of the Year" New Orleans for Intellectual Property Litigation 2015.
  • Louisiana Super Lawyers 2007 – 2024.
  • New Orleans Magazine "Top Lawyer" 2012 – 2023.
  • 2006 International Trademark Volunteer Services Award for advancement of Committee Objectives.

News & Events

Publications

  • Co-Author, "Pro Bono Work:  What's in it for You?"  INTA Bulletin, Vol. 70 No. 8 (2015).
  • "Proving A Claim Under the Federal Trademark Dilution Act - Are the Courts Diluting the FTDA?" 3 Loyola Intellectual Property & High Technology Journal 1 (2000).
  • "Trademarks and Trade Names: Choosing Among Alternative Remedies for Infringement in Louisiana," 46 Louisiana Bar Journal 392 (1999).
  • "Surveying the State of the Mediative Art: A Guide to Institutionalizing Mediation in Louisiana," 57 Louisiana Law Review 885 (1997).

Practice Areas

Industries

Bar Admissions

  • United States Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Louisiana Federal and State Courts

Education

Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, J.D., 1975

  • Omicron Delta Kappa
  • Order of the Coif
  • Senior Associate Editor, Louisiana Law Review, 1974-75

University of Southwestern Louisiana, summa cum laude, 1972

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk to the Honorable Mack Barham, the Honorable James Bolin and the Honorable James Dennis, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1975-76
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