Yokel, David

Robert C. Matz is an experienced, first-chair trial attorney who has successfully represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the United States, and before governmental and administrative tribunals.

The focus of Mr. Matz's practice is representing emerging companies in intellectual property matters, commercial disputes, and contract drafting/negotiation.  Mr. Matz’s clients have called upon him to litigate disputes involving a variety of complex and not so complex technologies, including electrode assemblies for silicon wafer fabrication, generic drugs, data storage, Ethernet and wireless networking, business methods (financial services), terminal emulation software, integrated circuits, rivets, AC/DC power supplies for notebook computers, digital audio encoding, geographic and behavioral targeting over the Internet, electron microscopy, lumber mill technology, elastomeric infusion devices, broadcast/digital media technology, toys, and video games.  They have also called upon him to help negotiate/draft contractual terms, resolve disputes concerning corporate governance, and litigate commercial disputes involving breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, unfair competition, idea theft, and collections.

Mr. Matz has represented clients from Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland, France, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Brazil, and has helped foreign clients enforce foreign court money judgments in U.S. courts.  Mr. Matz lived in Korea for two years, and speaks conversational Korean and Spanish.

Although the focus of his practice is litigation and trials, Mr. Matz has also successfully represented clients in arbitration and mediation, and is often able to help parties resolve disputes informally, without the need for arbitration, mediation, or litigation. 

Prior to forming his own law practice, Mr. Matz worked as an Associate at a number of national law firms, including Paul, Hastings, Janosfsky & Walker, LLP; Perkins Coie, LLP; Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White, and Baker & McKenzie, LLP.  After forming his own law practice, Mr. Matz served as lead counsel in more than 50 litigation matters, all of which were resolved favorably for his clients.  

Mr. Matz has served as Guest Lecturer on federal court litigation and practice at Stanford University and at his alma mater, Berkeley Law.  Mr. Matz is regularly asked to give presentations to engineers, business entrepreneurs and organizations on intellectual property law, litigation, and trials.  Mr. Matz performed 100 hours of pro bono legal work each year for the first ten years of his practice, and, following in his father’s footsteps, he has served as a Manager for his son’s Little League teams: Tee Ball (2009), Farm (2010), Single A (2011), and Double AA (2012).

During law school, Mr. Matz was awarded the Boalt Hall Jurisprudence Award for The Law of Electronic Commerce for his review, analysis, and criticism of ICANN's then recently-implemented Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy. He was also given an Oralist Award for excellence in oral argument in the school's Moot Court competition. Mr. Matz also authored a case note on copyright law that was published in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal, which is still cited in both legal and academic circles.

Mr. Matz' Notable Cases:

• Lead trial counsel for a small medical device manufacturer in a four-week jury trial in federal court which involved allegations of patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, breach of confidence, and unfair competition.Obtained finding of intervening rights from Court with favorable consent judgment entered after intervening rights were found.

• Trial counsel for infringement issues in one week bench trial in Eastern District of Texas involving claims of patent infringement related to a business method in the financial services industry. Obtained findings of direct infringement, inducement of infringement, and contributory infringement from the Court.

• Trial counsel for software company in one week jury trial involving claims of copyright infringement and breach of contract. Jury found infringement, and defendant to have acted in bad faith and awarded attorneys' fees and court costs. Jury verdict and attorneys' fee was awarded and both upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Obtained favorable claims construction in a patent infringement case that served as the basis for a motion for summary judgment, which was subsequently granted in favor of the client.

• Successfully mediated dispute between Taiwanese client and U.S. engineers and sales personnel concerning claims of trade secret misappropriation and idea theft related to digital audio encoding technology and customer lists.
 
• Successfully represented Korean technology company in dispute over a commercial lease in Silicon Valley, negotiating a substantial discount and extension of lease.

• Successfully enforced arbitration award on behalf of a German client against a technology company operating in Silicon Valley.

• Successfully challenged language in ballot argument against a local measure favorable to technology companies operating in Silicon Valley, meeting a clear and convincing evidence standard.
 
• Obtained judgment on the pleadings in a case involving claims of breach of contract, fraud and professional negligence in connection with construction claim.
 
• Obtained reconsideration and reversal of an order denying a motion for summary judgment in a breach of contract case, ending a seven-year litigation between a Spanish client and a U.S. concern.
Successfully represented start-up company in corporate governance/ownership dispute.