Director/Shareholder Dwayne Goetzel

Dwayne Goetzel divides his practice between intellectual property trial work, anti-piracy protection, and securing rights to intellectual property through applications and agreements.

With respect to trial and litigation matters, Mr. Goetzel has been responsible for or involved in hundreds of diverse cases in various courts all over the country, including for patent, copyright, trademark, unfair competition, and domain name matters.

Just a few examples of the federal court cases Mr. Goetzel has been involved in are set forth below:

Prince Rogers Nelson v. Thomas
Auto Wax v. Mark V Products
Chase Medical v. CHF Technologies
Rodgers v. Horizon
EF Products v. Interdynamics
Auto Wax v. Kucala
Alameda Fishing Tackle v. Comal Tackle
In a Lather v. Royal Soap
Dumas v. Singer
Graedon v. People’s
Q2100 v. OMS
Gloster v. Relios
Texas Lottery Commission v. Associates in Implants
Arthrocare v. Tighe
A Major Difference v. Wellspring
3M v. Western Pacific Telecommunications

The subject matter of Mr. Goetzel’s cases have run the gamut from automotive products, anti-piracy, computer and electronic devices, exercise equipment, fishing tackle, medical devices, and telecommunications equipment, to name just a few. Mr. Goetzel was one of the attorneys honored in 2004 by “Kroll on Track” for his involvement in the “Thought Leading Computer Forensic Case of the Year.”

In addition to federal court matters, Mr. Goetzel has been involved in over 50 opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the last few years alone. He has also handled many domain name disputes before the National Arbitration Forum, and has been involved in countless alternative dispute resolution proceedings of many different cases. He has also served as local counsel for cases venued in the Western District of Texas for many diverse clients.

With respect to securing intellectual property rights, Mr. Goetzel has filed hundreds of trademark and copyright applications in just the last few years. He has been responsible for and involved in all aspects of copyright and trademark prosecution practice, including responding to office actions, preparing documents for the continued use of trademarks, renewals, and amendments to existing registrations. He has prepared innumerable documents and agreements pertaining to intellectual property matters, such as contracts, licenses, assignments, work for hire agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and employer-employee covenants. In addition, Mr. Goetzel has built up a worldwide network of attorneys and trademark agents that allow his clients to file applications through our offices in just about any country of interest to the client.

Mr. Goetzel graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in history, from Angelo State University in 1986. As an undergraduate, he received the Presidential Award, the Modern Languages Award, and was a member of several academic honor societies. Mr. Goetzel also received a Rotary International Graduate Fellowship, and attended German law studies at Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany, from 1986 to 1987.

After legal studies in Germany, Mr. Goetzel attended the University of Texas School of Law, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1990. While in law school, Mr. Goetzel was a National Finalist in the Jessup International Moot Court competition, a member of the Texas International Law Journal, a Finalist in the Susman, Godfrey Moot Court competition, and was inducted into the Order of Barristers in 1990. He also received the Dean’s Achievement Award in European Community Law.

Mr. Goetzel is admitted to practice before the State Bar of Texas, and the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Texas, and the Southern District of Texas. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and the State Bar of California (inactive status as to California). Mr. Goetzel is an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the European Community Trademark Association (ECTA), and attends meetings and conferences of these associations worldwide. Languages: German.