Hon. Kathleen A. Roberts (Ret.) served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of New York from 1985 to 1995 before joining JAMS as a mediator and arbitrator. She frequently speaks to bar associations and other professional groups regarding alternative dispute resolution, including mediation of intellectual property disputes. Both on the bench and as a JAMS panelist, Judge Roberts has had extensive experience in mediating, adjudicating, and supervising discovery in all types of intellectual property disputes including copyright, trademark, unfair competition, and patent cases.
Representative Mediations
- Copyright and trademark infringement action by an internationally recognized jewelry designer against merchants in Manhattan's jewelry center
- False advertising dispute between makers of designer and discount fragrances
- Patent case involving the design of a nationally known brand of sports shoes
Representative Arbitrations
- Copyright case involving Ruth Orkin’s famous photograph "American Girl in Italy"
Supplementary Matters
- Appointed by the federal district court for the District of Columbia to resolve privilege claims in patent litigation between two of the largest U.S. telecommunications companies
- Served as a judge in two mock “Markman” hearings, in cases involving computer design and memory circuitry
- Served as an appellate judge in the mock argument of a case before the Federal Circuit involving pharmaceutical patents
- Tried an action brought by a national restaurant chain against a franchisee, alleging breach of franchise agreements and trademark and copyright violations
