Julia E. Markley
- Member, Firmwide Executive Committee; Firmwide Co-Chair, Litigation Practice Group
Julia brings drive, teamwork, and composure to her law practice to deliver high-value service to her clients.
For more than 20 years, Julia has represented businesses in trade secret, trademark, copyright, patent, nondisclosure agreement, license, contract, and other commercial disputes. A skilled appellate lawyer, Julia Markley also handles cases raising contractual, constitutional, arbitration, tax, and permitting issues.
Julia has dedicated her career to advocating for her clients in a range of industries, including technology, communications, medical device, construction, energy, mining, manufacturing, food, and retail. Her innovative IP litigation counsel includes the successful defense of an e-tailer accused of trademark and copyright infringement; her cutting-edge, winning argument addressed the liability of parties that never have contact with the product. Julia also has won enforcement of an executive severance agreement for an investment bank at arbitration; prevailed on a motion for temporary restraining order for an energy company that drove a favorable settlement; and resolved a case on the courthouse steps for a medical device company against a software consultant after a key pretrial evidentiary ruling.
Julia is the founding president of two affinity bars, the Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (2017) and the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2009). She has served on the Judicial Selection Committee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and advisory panels for the selection of Oregon state court judges. In 2024, the Portland Business Journal honored her with its Woman of Influence award.
Areas of focus
Industries
Services
Education & Credentials
Education
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D., with high honors, Order of the Coif, Notes & Comments Editor, Washington Law Review, 1999
- Stanford University, B.A., English, 1995
Bar and Court Admissions
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Oregon
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Washington
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Related Employment
- Judicial Extern to The Hon. Ancer L. Haggerty, U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, Portland, 1998
Clerkships
- Hon. R. Riggs, Supreme Court of Oregon
Additional Languages
- French
- Tagalog
- Spanish
Professional Recognition
Named “Litigation – Patent Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America, 2022
Named to the Lawyers of Color Power List, 2020
Ranked by Chambers USA as "America's Leading Lawyer" for Intellectual Property, 2017-2024; Litigation: General Commercial, 2024
Recipient, Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award, the highest honor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2019
Recipient, Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Judge Lynn R. Nakamoto Award, 2015
Recipient, Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Judge James Burns Federal Practice Award for Professionalism, 2015
Recipient, Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s Flex Success Award, 2014
Recipient, Oregon Women Lawyers’ Judge Mercedes Deiz Award, 2013
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent, 2013-2024
Recipient, Oregon Area Jewish Committee’s "Judge Learned Hand Emerging Leader Award," 2012
Named one of the Portland Business Journal's "Forty Under 40," 2012
Listed in Super Lawyers Magazine, “Oregon Rising Stars,” 2008-2013 and "Oregon Super Lawyer," 2014-2024
Co-Recipient of Perkins Coie "Pro Bono Leadership Award," 2009
Impact
Professional Leadership
- National Association of Women Lawyers, Supreme Court Committee, Evaluation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Chair of Coordination Subcommittee, 2022; Evaluation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 2020
- Campaign for Equal Justice, Director, 2021-present; Statewide Co-Chair, 2018-2022
- Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (OFALA), Founding President, 2016-2019
- National Filipino American Lawyers Association, Executive Team Member, 2015
- Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA), Founding President, 2009-2010; Advocacy Committee, 2009-present
- Oregon State Bar, Recipient, President’s Diversity & Inclusion Award, 2019; Leadership College Fellow, 2007; Diversity Section Executive Committee, 2007-2009; House of Delegates, 2006-2009
- Oregon Women Lawyers, Judicial Workgroup, 2007-2015; Board Member, 2007-2009; Co-Chair of Roberts-Deiz Awards Committee, 2003-2007; Salem Chapter Board Member, 2000-2001
- Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation, President, 2022-2023; Board member 2019-present
- Oregon Law Commission, Appellate Judicial Selection Workgroup, Voting Member, 2012-present
- ACLU of Oregon, Lawyers’ Committee, 2002-2011
Community Involvement
- YWCA of Greater Portland, Board Member, 2012-2022; Development Committee Chair, 2012-2015
- Impact NW, Board Member, 2014-2018
- Lewis & Clark Law School Student Mentoring Program, Mentor, 2010-2013
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Intellectual Property & Patent Litigation
VersaTop Support Sys., LLC v. Georgia Expo Inc.
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Prevailed on summary judgment against copyright and patent claims on behalf of manufacturer and seller of exhibition pipe and drape products. 2017 WL 1364617. (D. Or. 2017)
Acumed LLC v. Skeletal Dynamics, LLC
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Won motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction on behalf of Florida-based medical device company. 2016 WL 3769362 (D. Or. 2016).
Smith & Nephew v. Arthrex, Inc.
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Represented Arthrex in a patent infringement case concerning suture anchors, which are medical devices used in the repair of certain soft-tissue injuries. The case settled favorably on the eve of trial.
Rubbermaid, Inc. v. Capsa Solutions LLC
U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
Represented defendant against claims alleging utility and design patent infringement, trade dress infringement and unfair competition involving mobile computing medical carts.
Birchwood Laboratories Inc. v. Battenfeld Technologies Inc. / Battenfeld Technologies Inc. v. Birchwood Laboratories Inc.
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Won a series of summary judgments for Battenfeld on issues of obviousness, inequitable conduct, enablement, best mode, indefiniteness and willful infringement in patent infringement case involving sport shooting targets.
Google Inc. v. Traffic Information, LLC
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Represented Google Inc. in a declaratory judgment patent action relating to traffic information provided to mapping applications.
Mentor Graphics Corp. v. Synopsys, Inc.
Part of a team representing Synopsys, Inc., EVE-USA, Inc., and Synopsys Emulation and Verification S.A. in a patent dispute through jury trial in the hardware emulation segment of the Electronic Design Automation industry.
Sonotech Inc. v. RHI Company
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Counsel for plaintiff Sonotech, manufacturer of ultrasonic couplant, in trademark infringement and unfair competition action.
Key Bank v. Corillian Corporation
State Court of Ohio
Defense of trade secret misappropriation claim involving computer software code.
Appellate
Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. v. Department of Transportation
Successfully represented digital government service provider as amicus curiae before the Oregon Supreme Court. The court upheld a licensing agreement between two Oregon state agencies, to which our client held a sub-license. 432 P.3d 1080 (Or. 2019).
Klein v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
In landmark Oregon case, helped persuade the Oregon Court of Appeals on behalf of amicus curiae Americans United for Separation of Church and State that the federal and state free-speech and free-exercise clauses do not permit places of public accommodation—including cake bakeries, the business at issue in this case—to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. 410 P.3d 1051 (Or. App. 2017), rev. denied 434 P.3d 25 (2018), cert. granted, vacated, and remanded 139 S. Ct. 2713 (2019), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, remanded in part 506 P.3d 1108 (Or App. 2022), rev. denied 503 P.3d 119 (2022).
Icon Groupe LLC v. Washington County
Court of Appeals of Oregon
Supreme Court of Oregon
Represented outdoor advertising sign company on Washington County’s appeal of mandamus order compelling Washington County to issue 17 permits for outdoor advertising signs. Successfully opposed Washington County’s emergency motion to stay, obtained affirmance in Oregon Court of Appeals, and persuaded Oregon Supreme Court to deny further review. 359 P.3d 269 (Or. Ct. App. 2015), rev. den. 359 P.3d 269 (Or. 2016).
Klamath Irrigation District v. United States
Supreme Court of Oregon
Represented Klamath River basin water users successfully in the Oregon Supreme Court on their claims that the federal government had taken their property without just compensation when it terminated the delivery of water from a federal reclamation project. On certified questions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Oregon Supreme Court allowed the water users to pursue their claims in federal court. 227 P.3d 1145 (Or. 2010).
Industra / Matrix Joint Venture v. Pope & Talbot, Inc.
Court of Appeals of Oregon, Oregon Supreme Court
Obtained ruling compelling arbitration of pulp mill construction dispute. 113 P.3d 961 (Or. Ct. App. 2005), aff'd, 142 P.3d 1044 (Or. 2006)
Morlan v. Qwest Dex Inc.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Affirmance of summary judgment that employer did not defame former employee. 156 Fed. App'x. 949 (9th Cir. 2005)
Cheryl Perrin, et al. v. John Kitzhaber, et al.
Circuit Court of Oregon, Multnomah County, Oregon Court of Appeals, Oregon Supreme Court
Represented plaintiffs in successful redistricting litigation concerning Oregon's congressional district boundaries after the 2000 census. On appeal, persuaded the Oregon Court of Appeals that our clients were entitled to recover attorneys' fees as prevailing parties. 83 P.3d 368 (Or. Ct. App. 2004)
Anderson v. Dry Cleaning To-Your-Door Inc.
Court of Appeals of Oregon
Won reversal of attorney fee award against franchisor of dry cleaning pick-up and delivery services. 275 P.3d 181 (Or. Ct. App. 2012).
Business & Class Action Litigation
Hamilton v. General Mills Inc.
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Achieved Rule 12 dismissal of putative class action challenging the adequacy of General Mills’ recall of a limited production of Cheerios cereals containing trace amounts of gluten. Complaint dismissed as moot and for lack of damage, given General Mills’ recall and refund program. 2016 WL 4060310 (D. Or. Jul. 27, 2016); 2016 WL 6542840 (D. Or. Nov. 2, 2016).
United States v. MasTec Inc.
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Obtained favorable verdict of $1.5 million after bench trial in Clean Water Act action in which U.S. sought $30 million penalty related to over 600 alleged permit violations during construction of a 90-mile natural gas pipeline system. United States appeal of judgment dismissed.
Nature Valley “All Natural” Litigation
Acted as national coordinating defense counsel in five putative nationwide class action cases pending in California, Colorado and Minnesota involving the use of the term “All Natural” on product labels. Primary jurisdiction stay of Colorado action, and dismissal of Minnesota action.
Aldridge, et al. v. Dry Cleaning To-Your-Door Inc.
Circuit Court of Oregon, Multnomah County
Represented national franchisor of dry cleaning pick-up and delivery services against franchisees on Oregon Franchise Act claims and trademark infringement counterclaims.