Introduction

Lora is an experienced trial lawyer and Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Lora represents corporate clients in patent infringement matters, trademark and trade dress infringement matters, trade secret disputes, and commercial litigation. Lora has extensive experience in federal courts, and has appeared in more than 100 cases in the District of Minnesota. The U.S. District Court in Minnesota appointed Lora to serve on its Federal Practice Committee, which advises and assists the Court regarding local rules of practice and procedure. Lora also served as the President of the Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter from 2009 to 2010. Because of her depth of knowledge regarding local practice, Lora is frequently engaged by out-state lawyers to serve as local counsel. Lora is practical and counsels clients on tactics and strategies with an eye toward cost-effective business solutions. 

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1995, magna cum laude
• University of Minnesota, B.A., Political Science & Journalism, 1991, summa cum laude

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota, 1995
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1997
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2000

Practice Areas

• Litigation
• Intellectual Property Litigation, Chair
• Advertising, Marketing & Trademark Law
• Non-Competes & Trade Secrets

Representative Experience

Patent:

Lora currently represents the world’s leading medical products provider in a patent infringement suit against a new market entrant. In the case, Lora and her colleagues are protecting a patented technology that represents $125 million in annual revenue for her client.

Lora was a member of the winning trial team in a patent case in the Eastern District of Texas. Our client, a manufacturer of display stands, faced an opponent seeking $65 million in damages. Lora tried the damages portion of the case and convinced the jury to reject the exorbitant amount sought by the plaintiffs. The client was thrilled when the verdict was for an amount far less than what the plaintiffs demanded in settlement discussions.

Lora brought a patent infringement lawsuit against a competitor and its United States distributor for infringement of a patent covering an agricultural heating device. Lora and her team successfully defended an attempt to move the case to the competitor’s home state and forced the distributor to cease selling the accused product.

Trademark:

Lora is currently representing Buffalo Wild Wings in an infringement suit against a competing restaurant franchisor. Lora and her team are pursuing claims for trademark infringement and trade dress infringement. 

Lora defended Medtronic in a trademark infringement lawsuit filed in the District of Utah. The plaintiff filed suit and immediately sought a preliminary injunction. Lora and her team prepared a strong response to the injunction request, which ultimately led to a favorable settlement. 

Lora defended a manufacturing company in a trademark infringement case brought by its primary competitor. After a three day trial, Lora convinced the trial court judge that the client had a license to use the trademarks. Lora also defeated the competitor’s appeal, convincing the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that the trial judge’s decision was correct.

Several manufacturers began selling knock-offs of our client’s shoe designs. Lora brought trademark infringement lawsuits against the manufacturers, all of which resulted in either injunctions by the Court or agreements from the defendants to cease manufacturing the infringing products.

Copyright:

Lora served as lead trial counsel in a copyright infringement case brought against our client, a jewelry manufacturer, by the owner of a copyrighted jewelry design. The plaintiff sought over $60 million in damages. After the liability phase of the case, the matter settled for $50,000. Lora was able to negotiate that result because she convinced the trial judge that the plaintiff’s damages theory was flawed.

Trade Secret:

Lora is currently representing a medical device company in a lawsuit concerning the company’s trade secrets. Our client developed a new technology and entered into a non-disclosure agreement with a potential vendor. The vendor later applied for a patent that incorporates our client’s technology. Lora and her team filed suit for breach of the non-disclosure agreement and misappropriation of our client’s trade secrets. 

Lora represented a computer software company and its employee in a trade secret misappropriation case in federal court in Florida. A competitor sued our client for trade secret misappropriation after its former consultant joined our client, contending that the consultant shared confidential information with our client. Lora positioned the case for transfer to Minnesota by successfully arguing that the Florida court lacked jurisdiction over the employee. Meanwhile, Lora worked with our client to gather extensive records demonstrating that no misappropriation occurred. Faced with this evidence and the likelihood that the litigation would take place in Minnesota, the competitor dropped the case.

Representative Clients:

• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Hormel Foods
• Medtronic
• ACIST Medical Systems

Selected Publications & Presentations

• Presentation, “A Focus on Preliminary Injunctions & Proving Likelihood of Confusion,” Advanced Trademark Law 2010, March 4, 2010
• “Business as Usual in Eastern District of Texas following Federal Circuit’s Order In Re TS Tech,” co-authored with Joshua R. Williams, Intellectual Property Today, August 2009
• “Audi Hits Bump in the Road in its Trademark Infringement Suit Against an Audi Parts Supplier,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Trademark Topics^SM, February 2009
• Presentation, “The New Generation of IP Challenges: Controlling Your Brand on You Tube, eBay, Wikipedia and Other Frontiers,” International Franchise Association 41st Annual Legal Symposium, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
• Presentation, “Trademark Infringement Damages,” Minnesota State Bar Association, The 2006 Midwest Intellectual Property Institute, Minneapolis, September 2006
• Presentation, “State of Dilution Address,” Minnesota State Bar Association, The 2005 Midwest Intellectual Property Institute, Minneapolis, September 2005

Professional Activities

• Appointed member of Federal Practice Committee, 2006-2009
• Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
  - President, 2009-2010
  - Founder and Chair, IP Litigation Group - 2005 
  - Board of Directors - 2000-present

Judicial Clerkship

• Honorable John R. Tunheim, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1998