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R. Cameron Garrison

Cameron Garrison leads Lathrop GPM as its Managing Partner and chairs the firm’s Executive Committee, the group of attorneys that works with the Managing Partner to develop and guide the strategic direction of the firm. Before being elected to this position, Cameron served in several other leadership roles at the former Lathrop Gage LLP, including as a member of the Executive Committee and as Assistant Chair of the Intellectual Property Division.

As Managing Partner, Cameron is focused on developing and driving new and innovative approaches to client service and value that further Lathrop GPM’s commitment to exceeding clients’ expectations.

In practice, Cameron is an intellectual property litigator who represents consumer product manufacturers, retail chains, marketing and media clients, engineering firms, life sciences companies, and others across the country. He has significant experience in high-stakes patent, trademark, false advertising, copyright and trade secret litigations, as well as in post-grant review proceedings including inter partes reviews.  

Representative Litigation Matters

  • First-chaired two-week false advertising jury trial resulting in eight-figure verdict in favor of our client and defense verdict in favor of our client on all counterclaims.
  • First-chaired successful defense of major infant and toddler product manufacturer against claims of false advertising and unfair competition, resulting in denial of motions for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction; rulings affirmed by Ninth Circuit. Munchkin, Inc. v. Playtex Products, LLC, 2001 WL 2174383 (C.D. Cal. 2011); Munchkin, Inc. v. Playtex Products, LLC, 455 Fed. Appx. 748 (9th Cir. 2011).
  • First-chaired successful defense of major infant and toddler product manufacturer against claims of trademark infringement and dilution, false advertising, and unfair competition related to the client's best-selling product, resulting in exclusion of prominent survey expert, extremely favorable summary judgment ruling and ultimate voluntary dismissal of all claims against the client.
  • First-chaired representation of competitively injured false marking plaintiff that resulted in seven-figure settlement in favor of our client in one of the few cases of its kind after the passage of false marking revisions in the America Invents Act.
  • First-chaired successful prosecution of patent infringement claims that resulted in exclusion of all invalidity defenses, defendant's stipulation of infringement and extremely favorable settlement.
  • First-chaired successful defense of online service provider against claims of infringement of source-code copyright in a "bet-the-company" litigation.
  • First-chaired successful prosecution of claims under the Defend Trade Secret Act that resulted in a Consent Judgment in our client's favor.
  • First-chaired successful defense of home builder against claims of architectural copyright infringement resulting in significant discovery rulings in favor of our client and settlement on extremely favorable terms.
  • Led successful prosecution of trademark infringement and dilution claims in dispute over rights to 14 federal trademark registrations, resulting in temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction and permanent injunction against defendant and recovery of all rights asserted by our client. 
  • Second-chaired successful defense of complex patent, trademark, unfair competition and antitrust case, including a "bet-the-company" injunction proceeding, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. 
  • Second-chaired successful defense of potential nine-figure patent case in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire against a prominent national IP firm resulting in multiple favorable Markman rulings and ultimately summary judgment on all claims.
  • Led successful declaratory judgment action resulting in opposing party, whose federally registered trademark has been in use for over 80 years, agreeing to a Co-existence Agreement that allowed our client to continue use of its eight-year-old mark. 

Cameron also counsels a wide range of manufacturing, entertainment, Internet, marketing and media clients on diverse matters such as development and valuation of intellectual property portfolios, licensing of intellectual property, resolution of domain name disputes, trademark and copyright prosecution, risk management, noninfringement opinions, and technological and operational issues.

Representative Business Counseling

  • Served as outside general counsel to Silicon Beach-based media-technology company, including directing development of patent, trademark and copyright portfolio and leading sale of the company and its revolutionary content recommendation engine to Hulu.
  • Primary intellectual property counsel to two major healthcare technology companies, including directing development of patent and trademark portfolio.
  • Directed management of large, international trademark portfolios for several international corporations.

Presentations

  • Speaker, Corporate Counsel's 7th Annual IP Trademark, Copyright & Licensing Forum: Strategies for Safeguarding Your Brand in the Digital Era, The University Club, New York, NY, November 3, 2015
  • Speaker, Structuring your "All Natural," "Gluten-Free," "Organic" and "Grass-Fed" Marketing and Advertising Campaigns to Mitigate Litigation and Enforcement, ACI 3rd Annual Advanced Regulatory and Compliance Summit on Food & Beverage Marketing and Advertising, July 17, 2013
  • Speaker, Developments and Considerations in False Advertising Claims, National Law Journal Complex Litigation Series, November 2012
  • Speaker, IP Resources for Non-IP Attorneys, May 2010
  • Speaker, Lathrop Gage State of Litigation Seminar, May 2010
  • Speaker, Intellectual Property in Film, University of Southern California Graduate School of Cinematic Arts, February 25, 2009 
  • Speaker, Valuing and Defending Your IP Portfolio, Lathrop Gage Webinar, January 21, 2009 
  • Speaker, Protecting Your Internet Assets and Enforcing Your Rights Online, Lathrop Gage Webinar, January 14, 2009
  • Speaker, Protecting Your Trademarks and Enforcing Your Intellectual Property, Lathrop Gage Brunch and Learn, November 14, 2008

Publications

  • Author, "Good Internal Policies Are Best Safeguard to Protect Firm from Online Privacy Liability," Boulder County Business Report, July 22, 2004 
  • Author, "Web Site Privacy Policies Must Give Users Notice, Choice, Access, Security," Kansas City Business Journal, March 11, 2004 
  • Author, Legal Issues Relating to Internet Security and Privacy, National Business Institute Seminar - Technology Law: An Advanced Approach, December 2003

Client Alerts and Blog Posts

In the News

News Releases

Professional Affiliations

  • The Missouri Bar
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Missouri Biotechnology Association, Board Member, 2014 - 2019
  • Lawyers Association of Kansas City, Young Lawyers Section, Board of Directors, 2006-2010

Community Involvement

  • Mockingbird Foundation, Board of Directors, 2023-present
  • University of Missouri – Kansas City, Board of Trustees, 2021-present
    • Executive Committee, 2022-present
  • The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Member, 2018-present
  • Phoenix Family, Board of Directors, 2017-present
  • Saint Luke's Hospital, The Children's SPOT, Board of Directors, 2010-2015
  • Kansas City Young Audiences, Board of Directors, 2004-2008
  • Washington & Lee Alumni Association - Kansas City Chapter, Board of Directors, 2003-2006
  • Civic Council of Greater Kansas City – Graduate, Kansas City Tomorrow, Class XXXIII

Honors

  • Missouri Lawyers Media, "Top Managing Partners," 2023
    • "Law Firm Leaders," 2020
  • Named to Ingram's "250 Most Powerful Business Leaders," 2019, 2020, 2023
  • Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2024
    • Litigation – Intellectual Property "Lawyer of the Year," 2020-2021
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Missouri Intellectual Property, 2017-2019, 2022, Recognized Practitioner
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2013-2023
    • "Rising Stars," 2009-2012
  • Client ChoiceTM Award, Intellectual Property: Copyright, 2015
  • Kansas City Business Journal, NextGen Leaders, 2013
  • KC Business, "Rising Star," 2013
  • Ingram's Magazine, "40 Under 40," 2012   
Photo of R. Cameron  Garrison
F: 816.292.2001

Assistant

Debbie Ferrie
816.460.5346

Court Memberships

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri

Education

Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., 2002

University of Virginia, B.A., Government; B.A., History, 1996