William C. Bergmann concentrates his practice in intellectual property counseling and litigation, including issues relating to government contracts and regulations. He previously worked as a trial and appellate attorney for 12 years at the United States Department of Justice, specializing in those areas. He is admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has represented clients in cases before the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
While at the Department of Justice he successfully represented over 50 government agencies as lead trial and appellate counsel in several complex, multimillion-dollar lawsuits relating to intellectual property rights and government contracts. He was lead counsel in numerous patent infringement actions at both the trial level and before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Many of his cases related to technically complex weapons systems procured under multiple government contracts. He successfully defended the United States at both the trial and appellate levels against a $3 billion patent infringement claim involving over one hundred satellites (including the GPS and Galileo satellites) and thousands of government contracts. He has also litigated cases involving classified technologies on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and Department of Defense in federal court proceedings. As part of his duties Mr. Bergmann routinely coordinated litigation efforts with major third party government contractors involved in the litigation.
Since entering private practice, Mr. Bergmann has counseled several government contractors and other major pharmaceutical, electronics and manufacturing companies in intellectual property and regulatory matters. He has successfully represented clients in patent, trademark, copyright and contract cases in several District and Appeals courts throughout the country, as well as before the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. His experience is reflected in dozens of published opinions relating to intellectual property matters before district courts and the Federal Circuit.
Mr. Bergmann has obtained multimillion-dollar awards on behalf of intellectual property holders and has successfully defended numerous clients accused of infringement, theft of trade secret and/or breach of contract. He has successfully licensed technology on behalf of clients and has assisted in transactional matters and due diligence efforts relating to major acquisitions. He has also recently published a book chapter on intellectual property and data rights in government contracts and has lectured on these topics.
Mr. Bergmann’s counseling and litigation experience has covered a broad range of technologies, including electronics, software, pharmaceuticals, computer chips, encryption, telecommunications, the Internet, medical devices, biotechnology, plastics, lasers, sonars, missile guidance systems, radar and electronic warfare systems, helicopters, satellites, business method patents involving financial instruments, reverse osmosis membranes, dyes, polyaramid fibers, thermoplastics and technology to promote wildlife residing in federal park land.
Before entering the legal profession, Mr. Bergmann worked as an engineer and computer programmer for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, designing nuclear power plants. He was also a research assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Princeton University for four years.
Bergmann, William C. and Aina, B., “Intellectual Property Rights in Government Contracting,” Intellectual Property Counselor, December 2009.
Bergmann, William C. and Aina, B., IP Rights in Government Contracting, Andrews Intellectual Property Litigation Reporter, August 2009.
Bergmann, William C. and Aina, B., Commentary: Intellectual Property Rights in Government Contracting, Andrews Government Contract Litigation Reporter, July 2009.
Bergmann, William C., et al. Inside The Minds: Working With Government Agencies in Government Contracts Law, Thompson Reuters/Aspatore 2009. (Authored chapter of book on government contracts law and intellectual property rights).
Mr. Bergmann has recently been named as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). The LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American attorneys. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.
12/19/2011 - Bergmann Elected to Board of Governors of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Bar Association
9/13/2010 - Bergmann Speaker at Intellectual Property Owners Association Annual Meeting
4/30/2010 - Bergmann Addresses Aerospace Industries Association