Brendan focuses on intellectual property, commercial litigation and the quickly evolving law of artificial intelligence. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in patent, trademark, copyright and trade dress infringement actions, and he prosecutes trademark and copyright applications in the United States and abroad. He appears frequently before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in cancellation and opposition proceedings. As a commercial litigator, Brendan represents clients in federal and state courts and in arbitration on matters ranging from breach of contract to covenants not to compete, and he has significant experience reviewing corporate contracts efficiently and on tight timelines.
Artificial intelligence law is a central and growing part of Brendan's practice. He is certified by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in Generative AI for the Legal Profession, and he advises companies on the legal questions AI now raises across their operations. That work includes building and updating internal governance policies relating to how employees are and aren’t permitted to use generative AI, negotiating and reviewing AI vendor agreements, and counseling clients on the privilege, discovery and data risks that arise in litigation when employees use AI tools. Brendan also helps clients navigate the shifting patchwork of AI regulation at the federal, state and international level.
A niche focus of Brendan's practice is representing craft breweries and other alcohol producers on everything from corporate formation and licensing to M&A and distribution contracts. He is an award-winning homebrewer, and one happy client even named a beer after him. Brendan has been quoted on legal issues facing the alcoholic beverage industry in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle.
Brendan is also a key member of the firm's Cannabis Industry Team. He helps multistate operators and local businesses navigate New York's complex and rapidly changing regulatory scheme and protect their intellectual property.
Before joining Harris Beach Murtha, Brendan completed a federal judicial clerkship for Judge Joan M. Azrack in the Eastern District of New York and was a litigation associate in the Manhattan office of Proskauer Rose LLP.