Stuart Jones represents clients during all stages of litigation, including discovery, trial and appeal. He also provides risk assessment, contract negotiation and alternative dispute resolution services to his clients.

For over 15 years, Stuart’s diverse practice has emphasized complex construction litigation matters. He has successfully defended architects, engineers and contractors in a variety of cases, including design and construction defects in residential and commercial projects. He has also worked on complex delay claims relating to large municipal projects. In each case, Stuart has worked closely with both his clients and his experts in order to investigate the claims and evaluate critical issues. From this experience, Stuart has learned to assimilate complex scientific and technical matters and explain them to judges and juries in layman’s terms.

Stuart recently received an L.L.M. degree in Intellectual Property and Technology Law from the University of San Francisco School of Law. This advanced law degree encompasses, among other subjects, antitrust, copyright, cyber law; entertainment law, international business transactions, international intellectual property, misuse of intellectual property, patents, patent litigation, trademark, and trade secrets. Stuart has combined his knowledge of intellectual property and construction law in his thesis, which analyzed a series of recent cases regarding copyright protection of architectural works in the United States under the Berne Convention. For the years 2004-2007, Stuart was named a Super Lawyer by San Francisco Magazine. This placed him in the top five percent of Northern California attorneys. 

PRACTICE AREAS

• Intellectual Property
• Construction Law

EDUCATION

• L.L.M., University of San Francisco School of Law, 2004
• J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 1982
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1979

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• How Do I Protect My Signature Building - Get a Copyright! Real Estate Finance, Aspen Publishers, Volume 24 Number 1 Page 7. (June 2007)
• Recent Developments in Copyright Protection of Architectural Works: American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter. San Francisco, CA (May 2007)
• Copyright Protection of Architectural Works: My House Is My Castle, But Can I Protect It From Infringement? Intellectual Property Law Bulletin, University of San Francisco School of Law. Vol. 8 Number 2, Page 1 (April 2004)
• Prosecuting Water Intrusion and Mold Claims in California: Sterling Education Services, LLC. San Francisco, CA (July 2003)

NOTABLE ENGAGEMENTS

• Successfully defended a patent holder and a Washington based manufacturer of hydropower devices in an action brought by the patent holder’s former employer to enforce an employment agreement, which required that the patent holder to assign all patents and inventions that were developed during the course of his employment, to the patent holder’s former employer.
• Successfully defended a San Francisco merchant against claims that he had misappropriated the image and likeness of an individual for commercial purposes in violation of California Civil Code § 3344.
• Successfully defended the former employees of an automobile direct marketing company against claims that they had misappropriated the trade secrets of their former employer in violation of certain employment agreements and Business & Professions Code § 17200.
• Successfully prosecuted and settled a construction defect case (building envelope and seismic design) on behalf of a California University involving a 17-story college dormitory and a four-story guest center and conference room facility. Original cost of construction: $17.5 million; Cash settlement to the university: $16.7 million. The general contractor also agreed to perform significant repairs to the building envelope and seismic elements, at the contractor’s expense, bringing the total settlement value to roughly $35 million.
• Successfully prosecuted and settled a construction defect case (water intrusion and mold infestation) on behalf of a California University involving a 240,000 square foot, five-story office and classroom facility; Cash settlement to the university: $2.2 million.
• Successfully defended a golf course material supplier in connection with two suits involving the defective manufacture of irrigation pipes.
• Successfully defended an Ohio based ABS solvent/cement manufacturer in connection with 30-35 suits involving defective installation of ABS waste lines and vents.
• Successfully defended an Arizona based stucco sub-contractor in more than 30 separate actions (water intrusion and mold infestation).

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• State Bar of California
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• American Bar Association
ABA Intellectual Property Law Section
ABA Forum on the Construction Industry
• Association of Defense Counsel
• Defense Research Institute
• American Institute of Architects
Affiliate Member, San Francisco Chapter
• Construction Specifications Institute
Affiliate Member, San Francisco Chapter
• Construction Management Association of America

LICENSURE AND ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of California, 1982
• All United States District Courts in California