Jake Bruner is an MBA-trained attorney with an eclectic legal practice that includes significant experience in both the corporate and litigation arenas. Throughout traditional employment cases, high-stakes litigation or multimillion-dollar transactions, Jake employs a diverse set of business and legal skills that allows him to solve tough legal issues in an efficient, practical and creative manner. His diverse client base ranges from Fortune 500 companies and nimble startups to entrepreneurs, freelancers, families and veterans in a myriad of industries across the U.S. and abroad.
Jake’s employment practice focuses on three core areas: litigation, including administrative defense and grievance response; compliance, with audits, advice and counseling and complex investigations; and business support, including contract review, policy drafting and transactional due diligence. Although he advises clients on all aspects of the employment relationship, Jake focuses heavily on trade secrets, restrictive covenants, independent contractor issues, leave laws and discrimination. He is also passionate about blockchain, digital currencies and Web3, as well as legal issues impacting business and employment relationships in the metaverse.
Additionally, Jake has experience navigating legal issues ancillary to the employment relationship, such as data breach incidents, real estate transactions, cannabis licensing appeals, commercial tax disputes, high stakes regulatory litigation and celebrity defamation cases. As a third-generation attorney with a dynamic background, he is skilled at overcoming adversity, organizing ideas and getting things done.
Litigation and Administrative Claims
Trade Secrets and Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Won approximately $1.1 million verdict on behalf of local tech company against former business partner for breaching terms of license agreement concerning proprietary R&D tax credit software. Managed all aspects of litigation over a nearly three-year period from discovery through trial, including drafting and responding to more than eight rounds of discovery; examining and defending 11 witnesses (including expert witnesses) in depositions; drafting and prevailing, in part, on two dispositive motions concerning defendant’s tort-based counterclaims; and successfully arguing case during seven-day jury trial involving seven total claims. Titan Manufacturing Solutions, Inc. v. National Cost Inc. d/b/a National Tax Group (D. Colo. 2019).
Restrictive Covenants
- Enjoined five departed sales employees from competing with employer-mortgage company, soliciting its employees and disclosing trade secrets in connection with venture to create a competitive financial services business, including after the filing of an ex parte motion for temporary restraining order, a motion for preliminary injunction and a preliminary injunction hearing. Responsible for drafting expedited motions and arguing at a full preliminary injunction hearing with less than 24 hours' notice, which saved the employer $100,000 in potential lost revenue.