Stephanie O. Sparks, a shareholder in the firm’s Litigation Group, has a complex business litigation practice that focuses on intellectual property matters, particularly trademark, copyright, and trade secrets, as well as unfair competition and other business torts.  She leads the firm’s Electronic Discovery Team, given her specialized knowledge in computer forensics and electronic discovery.  She also has successfully litigated probate and trust matters for substantial estates on behalf of firm clients.

Ms. Sparks is licensed to practice in all California and Nevada state courts, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Recent Matters

• Secured a jury verdict for $6 million in liability and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs in favor of San Jose-based skincare manufacturing company after a five-month jury trial in Oakland involving claims for misappropriation of trade secrets, antitrust violations, breach of contract, statutory unfair competition, and interference with prospective economic advantage.  Was responsible for key electronic evidence against the defendants through computer forensics.  Also was responsible for the display of evidence in the courtroom using state-of-the-art technology, and successfully recovered those costs at the end of the trial.
  
  
• Negotiated a favorable settlement shortly after a lawsuit was filed against her client, an electronic component manufacturing company, for misappropriation of trade secrets.
  
  
• Defended against an inheritance claim made against a $12 million estate, and negotiated a settlement with the claimant that was favorable to her Japanese clients.
  
  
• Negotiated a favorable settlement in a finder’s fee dispute that arose
  from the sale of her client’s large machine manufacturing company in the South Bay.

Professional Activities

Ms. Sparks is an active member of Santa Clara County Bar Association’s Civil Practice Committee and Conference of Delegates; Northern California’s Association of Business Trial Lawyers; William A. Ingram Inn of the American Inns of Court; Santa Clara Trial Lawyers Association; and Vistage, the world’s largest CEO membership organization.  She is also Trustee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association Board of Trustees.