Carolyn Toto

Carolyn Toto, a Pillsbury Intellectual Property partner, litigates in state and federal courts and provides strategic counseling to optimize the value of clients’ IP portfolios. Carolyn advises technology industry leaders on all aspects of IP litigation, strategic prosecution and portfolio management, and licensing.

She has successfully resolved patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright infringement cases through jury trial, on appeal and by negotiated settlement. Carolyn has obtained patent and trademark protection for clients in various industries, including healthcare, robotics, consumer products, chemical manufacturing, and restaurant services, in jurisdictions worldwide.

Well versed in the legal issues involving social media, content distribution and advertising, Carolyn co-leads the firm’s Internet and Social Media team and manages the firm’s Social Media & Games Law Blog.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE :

• Providing ongoing strategic patent prosecution and counseling for a global imaging technology company.
• Providing global trademark prosecution and counseling related to brand portfolios of major consumer products companies, including handling trademark oppositions before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
• Represented the plaintiff in a successful patent infringement action involving a medical device used in pacemaker implantation that was tried to a jury and resulted in a finding of validity and infringement for the client.
• Serve as lead counsel in charge of expert discovery for Fluidmaster in a string of nationwide class actions alleging product liability engineering claims.
• Achieved a successful settlement for a client in a copyright infringement matter concerning a popular animated television series.

Associations :

• American Bar Association
• Los Angeles Bar Association
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• American Intellectual Property Law Association

EDUCATION :

• J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2004
• B.S., Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999

ADMISSIONS : California

COURTS :

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California
• Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas