Education

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

Experience

A. Eric Bjorgum has over 25 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 protecting 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 then-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 national powerhouse of over 250 lawyers, and it now stands as the largest business litigation firm in the world. 

Quinn’s growth 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 attorneys Brian Panish and Kevin Boyle, and began to develop a specialty in public art cases involving the Visual Artists Rights Act.

In 2009, Eric started Karish & Bjorgum, PC with Marc Karish from Sheldon & Mak.  Karish & Bjorgum built a strong IP litigation, prosecution, and counseling practice.  The firm was founded on the ideals of close client relationships and the highest quality intellectual property counseling at reasonable rates.  The attorneys at Karish & Bjorgum registered hundreds of trademarks, patents and copyrights, and, where necessary, guided clients through litigation, trial and appeal, all with an eye to doing only what is necessary to protect and grow businesses.  

Eric has now formed his own firm to continue to explore new models for the practice of law and provide the utmost flexibility in representing clients in civil disputes. 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 numerous committees, including the Music Committee and the Television and Radio Committee).  He is a board member of Pasadena’s Crown City Club (formerly the Pasadena Optimist Club).  He is also the President of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles and continues to work actively on behalf of public art in Los Angeles.   Eric has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer in the field of Intellectual Property Litigation in 2011 and each year 2021 – 2026.

Notable Matters

• Dr. Lillian Glass v. John Wiley & Sons, et al. (Cent. Dist. Cal. case no. 2:09-cv-08570): Successful lead trial counsel for plaintiff/author in copyright case against self-help author.
• Positive Ions v. Ion Medial Networks, (U.S. Dist. Court, CD Cal. case no. 2:06-cv-04296): Co-lead counsel (with Brian Panish and Kevin Boyle) for plaintiff in trademark reverse confusion case that settled at trial.
• Jack Russell v. Mark Kendal et al.: Represented multi-platinum rock band in dispute over band name; rights in name assigned to Karish & Bjorgum clients.
• Microhits, Inc. v. Deep Dish Productions: 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.
• Twitchell v. U.S. Job Corps: Represented famed muralist Kent Twitchell in landmark case under Visual Artists Rights Act, resulting in $1.1 million settlement.
• Tresona Multimedia v. Burbank High School Vocal Music Assoc., et al.: Represented parents in copyright lawsuit involving show chorus.
• Ride and Show v. Universal Studios: Represented major amusement park in patent infringement case involving ride system.
• SoCal Diesel v. Extrasensory, Inc.: Represented small manufacturing company in trade secrets lawsuit spanning eight years of litigation, trial and appeals.
• Has represented several high tech and Fortune 500 companies in anti-piracy campaigns.
• Has prosecuted dozens of trademarks to registration.
• Prevailed on numerous anti-SLAPP and related motions in such diverse areas as patent infringement and criminal restitution.
• 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.

Publications

• Los Angeles Gets a Mural Ordinance (Los Angeles Lawyer, 2013)
• 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)