Tom is the Chair of the firm’s Hospitality, Food and Beverage Industry practice group. He is a member of the Firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) practice group and is based in the firm’s Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on global IP strategies and portfolio management.

Mr. Speiss is the go-to intellectual property counsel for several companies, principally handling global IP portfolios and related diligence. He has advised the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZSF) in the venture capital space, advising on IP diligence matters. He further has advised the “Innovation Alliance,” consisting of NZSF, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and the Alberta Investment Management Co., also advising on IP diligence.

Tom often serves as outside General Counsel for his clients, including Country Archer beef jerky. Tom has particular skill in trademark advertising and branding, counterfeiting, and licensing matters, and in the resolution of related disputes. Tom utilizes the skills that he developed as a news reporter for the LA Times community news group, during his MBA work at USC, and as a lawyer to advise his clients. In addition to Country Archer, his clients include a host of energetic and successful businesses such as Carver Skateboards, Health-Ade kombucha, L-Nutra (Prolon), and Procore Technologies.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Speiss was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, covering events in Newport Beach, Orange, and Villa Park for the community news section of the Times.

Bar Admissions

• California

Education

• Villanova University School of Law
• University of Southern California
• James Madison University

Significant Accomplishments

Deals

• Represented the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in its investments in View, Inc. consisting of $75 million in shares of Series F Preferred Stock from View, Inc., as well as its investment in FloDesign, Inc., advising on IP diligence matters for both transactions.
• Represented the “Innovation Alliance” in the venture capital space, advising on several IP diligence transactions.

Cases

Tom has appeared as counsel in more than 50 Federal Court lawsuits in the United States, all of which concerned Intellectual Property infringement claims.  While the majority of his matters have been domiciled in the Central District of California (Los Angeles and Santa Ana), other matters have been filed throughout the United States.  Some of his most recent matters include the following,

• Blue Sphere, LLC v. SalesBrain Holdings, LLC, Case No. 22-cv-12170-LTS (D. Mass. 2022). Represent Blue Sphere in a trademark infringement matter.
• Grabba Leaf, LLC, et al. v. Best Price Distributors, LLC et al., Case No. 21-cv-06689-RGK-JC (C.D. Cal. 2021). Represent Grabba Leaf in a trademark counterfeiting and copyright infringement action.
• Naked Dog Bistro, Inc. v. Protein For Pets, LLC, et al., Case No. 2017-cv-01992 (C.D. Cal. 2018).  Tom represented Protein for Pets in a trademark matter.
• Carver International, Inc. v. SurfSkate Industries, LLC, Case No. 2015-cv-01348 (C.D. Cal. 2017).  Tom represented Carver Skateboards in a trademark and unfair competition matter.
• S&E Gourmet Cuts, Inc. v. Tillamook Country Smoker, Inc., 2016-cv-01698 (C.D. Cal. 2016), and Tillamook Country Smoker, Inc. v. S&E Gourmet Cuts, Inc., Case No. 2016-cv-01477 (D. Or. 2016).  Tom represented S&E Gourmet Cuts, doing business as Country Archer, in a product packaging dispute, based upon claims for trademark and copyright infringement.