Zee Claiborne has served as a mediator and arbitrator in many intellectual property cases including copyright, patent, trade secrets, trademarks, and licensing. Ms. Claiborne is experienced in working with high tech companies, including start-ups. She has mediated and arbitrated cases involving the intellectual property interests of companies domestically and overseas.
Ms. Claiborne has successfully mediated cases involving software development, electronics, and medical devices, in large part due to her commitment to the development of workable solutions that ensure continued relationships between parties.
Representative Matters
Patents, Licensing
- Arbitration of claim arising out of an incubator relationship with patent-holders for development of a sensor used in medical and other scientific applications; allegations include failure to prepare prototypes and ready the invention for commercialization (sole arbitrator)
- Mediated resolution of a dispute between joint venture partners from the U.S. and India regarding the development and commercialization of a global M & A database related to the oil and gas industries
- Arbitration of claims by large school district arising out of a licensing and services agreement for complex software developed to centralize educational records and track all students and programs (tripartite)
- Claims of infringement by patent holder against major automobile manufacturer arising out of patents for a three-valve engine design
- Mediated patent infringement case regarding claim by a U.S. company against a semiconductor manufacturer in Taiwan involving a technique for optimizing the operation of core logic chipsets
- Claims of breach of licensing agreement involving financial services software used by major banks
- Multi-million dollar claims of infringement of 8 patents related to pay-for-performance advertising between two of the leading web based companies
- Dispute between one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies based in Switzerland and a California manufacturer of hard drives. The dispute, involving impending infringement allegations over shared intellectual property, arose from a Master Development Agreement and a series of Product Supply Agreements.
- Arbitrator for claims for monetary damages and injunctive relief arising out of a licensing agreement for computerized software for dialysis treatment and management (tripartite)
- Arbitrated a dispute over a licensing agreement for a patent on a medical device
- Chair of an arbitration panel for a dispute involving licensing claims to patents for cardiac stents, whose rights were valued at approximately $4 billion
- Mediated a dispute between Canadian and U.S. companies arising out of an international marketing agreement providing a license to manufacture and distribute certain recreational installations
- Mediated a dispute involving a software development and licensing agreement
- Mediated a dispute over amount of royalties to be paid to the digital division of a leading greeting card company on software products
- Mediated a legal malpractice claim by a start-up company against counsel for an alleged failure to protect worldwide patents for a data communication system
Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets
- Mediated resolution of dispute arising out of the termination of employment of an executive. Claims included misappropriation of trade secrets and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage between competing providers of smartphone applications for mobile security and safety services sold to various carrier networks.
- Trademark infringement dispute between a publisher of video games and an international designer/manufacturer of military helicopters
- Mediated to resolution a dispute between companies in the US and China involving claims of copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets arising out of alleged unauthorized use of a software system used to manage government subsidies
- Mediated case involving software piracy claims, alleging copyright and trademark infringement, brought by well-known international software company against a distributer
- Arbitrated claims of misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement, and breach of contract arising out of licensing agreement between two non-profits serving the developmentally disabled (sole arbitrator)
- Arbitrator for claims by a company representing a well-known artist against an art dealer for trademark infringement
- Sole arbitrator for case involving multi-million dollar claims for breach of a Strategic Alliance Agreement and misappropriation of trade secrets between a Fortune 500 manufacturer/distributor of commercial building automation systems and a provider of wireless distribution systems
Software
- Settled dispute arising out of an Asset Purchase Agreement involving the purchase of IP for high performance computing storage
- Dispute arising out of a Stock Purchase Agreement involving the sale of a business that tests integrated circuits and other electronic components for use in high profile applications such as aircraft navigation and braking systems, nuclear control rod systems, and military equipment; allegations against the seller included a failure to disclose defects in the testing software (sole arbitrator)
- Claim of corporate “freeze out” and demand for ownership of IP and stock by two former officers and directors against a start-up company developing cutting edge technology for the purification of water and other liquids
- Mediated a $15 million claim by creditors against Asian and U.S. entities over investments in a wafer fabrication plant in Silicon Valley
- Mediated breach of contract dispute between a manufacturer and distributor of electronics
- Mediated claims regarding the lease of equipment used by manufacturers of integrated circuits in the U.S. and Taiwan
- Mediated international cases over pricing and breach of contract disputes involving tech companies based in overseas markets such as Israel
- Mediated resolution of contract dispute between the developer of messaging technology and provider of software development for communications, security, and network management
- Sole arbitrator for a dispute between a designer and manufacturer of semiconductors against a Hong Kong distributor over claims for payments due for products ordered for the Chinese market
