John Gray
- Firmwide Vice Chair, Trademark, Copyright, Internet & Advertising Practice; Firmwide Co-Chair, Trade Secrets
John brings a practical approach to helping companies navigate their most complex challenges, representing clients in prominent business and intellectual property cases and counseling them on managing high-risk matters.
John Gray advises well-known technology clients across the country on complex business and intellectual property disputes. He also regularly counsels clients on mitigating litigation risk in the area of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Having spent time on the Arizona State Bar’s Civil Practice and Procedure Committee and worked directly with federal judges in Phoenix, John is skilled in all aspects of litigation. This includes initial case assessment, pleadings, and e-discovery, as well as dispositive and procedural motions, evidentiary hearings, trial, and appeal and settlement negotiations. He also has significant experience representing both large and small companies in disputes over trademark enforcement, patent infringement, licensing, copyright infringement, employment and noncompetition agreements, and an array of contract and business tort issues.
John serves as a lawyer representative to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, helping foster open communications between judges and lawyers and providing support and advice in the functioning of the court. He twice worked on Perkins Coie’s Pro Bono Team of the Year, assisting Guantanamo Bay detainee Noor Uthman Muhammed and later helping approximately 36,000 prison inmates achieve a favorable settlement in a three-year class-action lawsuit alleging that Arizona inmates receive unconstitutional healthcare and conditions of confinement.
Outside of his legal practice, John enjoys serving the community. In 2018, inspired by his four-year-old daughter, he led a team to raise nearly $230,000 in 10 weeks for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and, in doing so, was named the 2018 LLS “Man of the Year.” He also regularly raises funds for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and local nonprofit organizations.
Areas of focus
Industries
Services
Education & Credentials
Education
- Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, Associate Note and Comment Editor, Arizona State Law Journal, 2009
- Arizona State University, B.S., Political Science, Emphasis in Public Advocacy and Lobbying, summa cum laude, 2005
Bar and Court Admissions
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Arizona
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Related Employment
- The Hon. Michael Daly Hawkins, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Phoenix, AZ, Legal Extern, 2008
- Perkins Coie Brown & Bain, P.A., Phoenix, AZ, Summer Associate, 2008
- Hon. David G. Campbell, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, Legal Extern, 2007-2008
- Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, P.A., Phoenix, AZ, Summer Law Clerk, 2007
- Office of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Office of Boards and Commissions, Deputy Director, Phoenix, AZ, 2005-2006
Clerkships
- Hon. G. Murray Snow, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
Professional Recognition
Recommended in Intellectual Asset Management Patent 1000, 2023; Trade Secrets, 2023
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation; Copyright Law, 2023-2025; Trade Secrets Law, 2025
Recognized as "Young Lawyer of the Year Finalist (Beyond Practice)" by The American Lawyer, 2022
Recognized as a “40 Under 40” by the Phoenix Business Journal, 2020
Listed as a “Rising Star” in Southwest Super Lawyers, 2015 – 2023
Impact
Professional Leadership
- State Bar of Arizona, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee
- Arizona Asian American Bar Association, Board of Directors
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), 2014 Convention Local Host Committee
- ABA Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy
- Arizona Bar Leadership Institute
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Arizona
- Maricopa County Bar Association
Community Involvement
- HustlePhx, Workshop Speaker and Facilitator
- Phoenix Children's Hospital, Emerging Leaders
- 2018 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society “Man of the Year” – raised nearly $230,000 in 10 weeks
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Experience
Zebra Technologies Corporation et al. v. Intermec Inc. et al.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Represented Intermec Inc. in a multipatent competitor litigation involving scanner, printer, RFID, and battery technologies.
TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. v. Avago Technologies, Ltd., et al.
U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
Represented TriQuint in asserting antitrust and patent infringement claims, and in defending against patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation claims, related to semiconductor components in wireless communication devices.
Move, Inc. v. Zillow, Inc.
King County Superior Court, State of Washington
Represented the defendant Zillow in an employment-related unfair competition / trade secrets case against its largest competitor in which the plaintiffs sought approximately $2 billion in damages. After the Court dismissed more than $1 billion of plaintiffs’ claimed damages, found in favor of Zillow on allegations of spoliation, and granted several of the client’s motions for partial summary judgment including dismissal of most of plaintiffs’ tort-based claims, case settled on what was scheduled to be the first day of trial.
Golf Course Property and Contract Dispute
Represented golf course developer in multiweek jury trial and on appeal in litigation alleging various contractual and property restrictions on redevelopment.
Realtime Data, LLC v. Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. & Dell Inc.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Represented Microsoft, HP, and Dell in a patent infringement suit involving accelerated loading of operating systems.