David litigated commercial and intellectual property disputes for sixteen years at an AmLaw100 law firm and its predecessor before joining the Bruce Campbell Law Firm LLP f/k/a Finch & Campbell LLP.  Prior to that, he clerked for United States District Judge Dean Whipple of the Western District of Missouri.

David continues to focuses his practice on commercial and intellectual property litigation.  He advises and represents both businesses and individual authors, artists and other creatives in copyright, trademark, trade secret and patent litigation.

In addition, he has an extensive commercial litigation background involving complex contract disputes and business torts with particular knowledge of manufacturing practices, food processing and the energy industry.  He also represents municipalities, utilities and landowners in condemnations and other property disputes.

He also teaches intellectual property as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of Missouri in Kansas City and is a board member of the Kansas City Municipal Arts Commission.

Contact:  drein@campbell-lawfirm.com; cell (913-732-3283)

 

Representative Experience

  • Cancelled & opposed trademark registrations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.  Successfully tried a case before the TTAB which cancelled the mark of a client’s competitor who had used the mark for many years. A full panel upheld the decision.
  • Served as lead counsel in defeating and pursing injunctions for alleged trademark violations. Defeated a preliminary injunction filed by a competitor during the national launch of my client’s product line. After further litigation, the case was dismissed without any compensation from my client.
  • Lead counsel in advising & litigating copyright claims. Recovered damages on behalf of architect that exceeded client’s or opposing party’s profits because I was able to build a case that placed a substantial amount of defendant’s revenues in jeopardy.
  • Successfully defended against patent lawsuits involving products ranging from audio speakers to food ingredients.
  • In a case of first impression, won the right to control a limited liability company that had long been controlled by a competing block of members. Initially obtained an injunction to prevent the competing block from stripping company assets.
  • Represented taxpayers in U.S. Tax Court and state forums including one in which I successfully tried and ultimately persuaded the Kansas Supreme Court to uphold a decision ruling in our client’s favor worth millions of dollars.
  • Lead attorney on a variety of real estate issues & trials for municipalities & landowners in several states. Obtained a $10 million recovery for a business that believed its maximum recovery was $1 million.

Admissions

  • Missouri, 1992
  • Kansas, 1993
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 1993
  • U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, 1994
  • Federal Circuit 2012
  • U.S. Tax Court, 2009

Professional Associations & Civic Involvement

  • City of Kansas City Municipal Art Commission, board member
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, operations & Red Shoe committees
  • Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts, founding board member
  • Kansas City Tomorrow Alumni Association, board member
  • American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section; trademark litigation committee; chair of a copyright litigation subcommittee
  • International Right of Way Association, facilitator

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk, The Hon. Dean Whipple, U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 1992-1994

Education

  • J.D., University of Iowa College of Law, with high distinction, 1992; Iowa Law Review, Book Review Editor
  • B.S.B., University of Minnesota, with high distinction, 1989

Publications & Presentations

  • Author of the blog: IP Litigation From Flyover Country
  • New Cases in Copyright Law — Internet and Beyond. Part of the Understanding Copyright Law in the Data Era 2012 presented to Practicing Law Institute (PLI) in San Francisco.  7/2012
  • Another Coat of Primer: Copyrights. Presented to the Greater Kansas City Art Association 2/2012
  • A Kiss Is Not A Contract; Contracts for Musicians. Presented at the Musician’s Boot Camp for the KCVLAA, 9/2011 & 9/2012.
  • Finding Commercial Value in Copyrights, panel member for Placing Your Bets on Non-Obvious Horses: Capturing Value from Non-Patentable Subject Matter.  Presented to the Association of University Technology Managers Central Conference in Louisville, KT, 7/2011.
  • Zen and the Art of Law, KCArtistsLink, Wichita, KS, 2/2011.
  • Trademark Trials Before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board, CLE for the Lawyers Association of Kansas City, Dec. 2010
  • The Art of the Contract for Writers, KCVLAA seminar for the Writer’s Place, 10/2010
  • Legal Easements, facilitator/instructor for International Right of Way class, 10/2010, 10/2012
  • Contributor and a Reviewer, Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments 2011 (Herbert D. Hall III editor)
  • Contributor, Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments, 2006-2008 (George Jordan III editor)
  • Co-author of a chapter in Litigation Settlements 3rd ed., published by Missouri Bar Publications
  • Co-author of chapters in Condemnation Practice 4th ed., published by Missouri Bar