Biography
Mark Wittow is a partner in K&L Gates' Intellectual Property group. His work focuses on transactions and litigation concerning the acquisition, development, marketing and distribution of computer-related technologies and other types of intellectual property and electronic commerce issues. Mark has negotiated and prepared a broad array of domestic and international agreements for technology development and licensing, computer software and hardware and Internet services. He also advises technology and other companies on acquisitions and due diligence, export licensing, Internet commerce including privacy: and copyright, trade secret and trademark matters. His recent experience includes assisting an international retailer with the legal issues and agreements associated with the creation and operation of its online retail web site; the preparation of agreements and related due diligence for the acquisition of companies involved in various online activities, business software development and electronic games; the negotiation and preparation of various software and internet-related licensing agreements; representation of Microsoft in its litigation with Sun Microsystems concerning the licensing and distribution of Java technology and of the Business Software Alliance in an appeal concerning several software licensing issues; and assisting authors and artists with licensing and publication of their works.
Before joining the firm's intellectual property practice, Mark concentrated on complex commercial, antitrust and natural resources litigation and transactions. Mark was lead counsel for the Municipality of Anchorage's $120 million acquisition of a one-third working interest in the Beluga River natural gas field and represented the State of Alaska in complex oil and gas tax litigation and the Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation. Over the course of his career at K&L Gates, he has advised clients on a broad array of legal issues from both a litigation and transactional perspective. He also served as a hearing officer for the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights and other administrative agencies.
From 1981 to 1985, prior to joining the firm, Mark was associate director of state/federal relations for the State of Alaska with responsibility for international trade issues focusing on the Pacific Rim and energy and natural resource issues and special assistant to the Alaska Commissioner of Natural Resources with responsibility for oil and gas leasing, oil and gas royalty sales, land disposals, and mining issues.
Mark is an active member of the intellectual property law sections of the Washington, Alaska and American Bar Associations and is the current co-chair of the Online Trademark Issues Committee and former co-chair of the Databases Committee of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the American Bar Association.
Mark is addmitted to the bar in Alaska; Washington; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska and for the Western District of Washington.
