Education

Law School/Year: University of Texas, with honors, 1986

College/Year: B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Texas, with highest honors, 1983

Bar Admissions

California, Virginia, District of Columbia

Practice Areas

Appellate; Civil Litigation; Intellectual Property; Patent, Trademark & Copyright     

Major Cases

John Gartman won the largest patent case in history in 2008 ($1.5 billion verdict reversal) for his longtime client Microsoft, a result declared one of the nation’s top litigation wins for the year by <i>IP Law and Business</i>. He additionally won two jury defense verdicts in 2008 for Microsoft against Lucent. In each case, Lucent sought damages exceeding $1 billion dollars. Gartman has been recognized by the National Law Journal for two other top national civil litigation wins in the last 10 years: Adobe v. Quantel (1997) and Marconi v. Bellcore (2000). 

Professional Background

Gartman has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Texas with highest honors, and was awarded the College of Engineering Outstanding Scholar-Leader Award.  He clerked for Judge Giles Rich on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. IP Worldwide named him one of the nation’s “Magnificent 7” “Best Young Trial Lawyers” in 2002. Gartman is listed in the Best Lawyers in America, by Chambers USA as a “Leader in Their Field,” and by The Daily Journal as one of California’s “Top IP Lawyers.” The National Law Journal put him on the “Appellate Hot List.” 

Professional Affiliations

Gartman has been on the faculty of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy for more than a decade. In 1996, he was an adjunct professor of law at Santa Clara University School of Law, teaching appellate advocacy skills in technology cases.

He has published several articles and given numerous speeches and demonstrations on technology litigation at the American Law Institute, American Bar Association, Practicing Law Institute and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. From 1990-1998, he was patents contributing editor to the Federal Circuit Bar Journal.

Personal Affiliations

Gartman is a member of the San Diego Zoo Foundation Board and the zoo’s Innovation Advisory Council. He is a founding member of the Wallace Inn of Court.

Personal Background

Gartman is married to Jill Gartman and is the proud father of three sons: Michael, Steven and Jack. Gartman was born in the small town of Lampasas, Texas. He is a scuba diver (now approaching Master Diver certification), golfer and triathlete -- and loves snowboarding and the mountains.