Joseph A. Gorman is of counsel in the San Francisco office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  He is a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department.  His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation with a focus on technology, software copyright, and contract disputes.  He served as a law clerk to Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Mr. Gorman has represented clients in the technology, pharmaceutical, sports, and retail industries in a variety of high-stakes disputes, in several federal trials and on appeal.  Representative matters include:

• Obtained unanimous decision in United States Supreme Court on behalf of global software support provider, Rimini Street, Inc., concerning interpretation of Section 505 of the Copyright Act.  Named by Law360 as #2 of the Top Ten Copyright Rulings of 2019.
• Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on behalf of Nike in misappropriation of trade secret, breach of contract, and business tort litigation involving Adidas and three former Nike footwear designers.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Nike in a breach of contract and business tort lawsuit in which Oakley sought over $100 million in damages from Nike and professional golfer Rory McIlroy after Mr. McIlroy signed endorsement agreement with Nike.
• Obtained summary judgment and a permanent injunction on behalf of Allergan in consolidated patent and unfair competition case against several entities selling eyelash growth drugs in competition with Allergan.
• Representing Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company against claims of copyright infringement, tortious interference, and unfair competition brought by Oracle in a lawsuit relating to a subcontractor’s handling of components of an Oracle Operating System. Obtained summary judgment in part, based on statute of limitations arguments, which were affirmed by the Ninth Circuit on appeal.
• Representing Rimini Street, Inc. in ongoing federal copyright infringement litigation.
• Defeated motion for $80 million in penalties and liquidated damages following class action jury trial on behalf of leading national retailer.

Mr. Gorman also has an active pro bono practice.  He led a team that filed a lawsuit to protect 70 neglected retired thoroughbred horses, which settled favorably and resulted in the horses being brought back to health and under an ongoing welfare monitorship.  Mr. Gorman serves in the United States Navy Reserves.

Mr. Gorman earned his law degree magna cum laude in 2009 from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was a Dean’s Scholar and was elected to Order of the Coif.  During law school, Mr. Gorman was a member of the San Diego Law Review and the school’s National Moot Court Team.  He was a recipient of the Pro Bono Service Award.  In 2006, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Mr. Gorman has practiced in federal courts throughout the country, and is a member of the California and New York bars.