John E. Cummerford
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
John E. Cummerford focuses his practice on the legal and business needs of established and emerging growth companies, with an emphasis on software, Internet, hardware and related businesses. He advises a wide range of clients in regard to technology-related transactions, including software licensing, product development, eCommerce, co-marketing, OEM and other arrangements. He has broad experience in complex licensing, manufacturing, distribution, development, due diligence and intellectual property audit transactions.
Prior to joining the firm, John was a principal in his previous firm and also managed that firm's information technology transfer practice. John also served as Vice President & General Counsel of Kaleida Labs, an Apple/IBM multimedia joint venture, and as Vice President & General Counsel of Candle Corporation, a large mainframe software company. He began his career as corporate counsel for IBM, responsible for handling licensing, development and marketing matters for the IBM personal computer and outsourcing lines of business. John's in-house legal experience has included a wide variety of practice areas, including antitrust, commercial, bankruptcy, corporate and employment law.
Overview
- Spanish
- Columbia University, J.D., graduated 1983
- Arizona State University, BA, graduated 1980
- Arizona, State Bar of Arizona
- California, The State Bar of California
- New York, New York State Bar Association
- Arizona Academic Decathlon Association, Inc. - Board of Directors
- Arizona Technology Council - Board of Directors
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation - Board Secretary
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona - Board of Directors
- Spanish
- Arizona, State Bar of Arizona
- California, The State Bar of California
- New York, New York State Bar Association
- Arizona Academic Decathlon Association, Inc. - Board of Directors
- Arizona Technology Council - Board of Directors
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation - Board Secretary
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona - Board of Directors
- Columbia University, J.D., graduated 1983
- Arizona State University, BA, graduated 1980
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus

- Technology Law, Phoenix (2024)
- Technology Law, Phoenix (2022)
- Trademark Law, Phoenix (2012)
- Copyright Law
- Patent Law
- Technology Law
- Trademark Law
- Information Technology Law
- IT Outsourcing Law
- Copyright
- Information Technology
- Internet
- Licensing
- Software
- Trade Secrets
- Trademark
- Transactions
- AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5
- Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine, "IAM Licensing 250: The World's Leading Patent and Technology Licensing Practitioners," 2010
- Arizona's Finest Lawyers, 2011
- Super Lawyers magazine, Southwest Super Lawyers, 2007-2013
- Managing IP Magazine's World IP Handbook and Survey, "IP Stars," 2013
News & Media
Case History
- Areas of Concentration
- Intellectual property law
- Computer law
- Internet law
- Technology licensing
- Significant Representations
- Advised on investment in RoseStreet Labs Energy, Inc. by Sumitomo Chemical.
- Advised on acquisition of IC Services by FlipChip International, LLC.
- Advised on stock sale of Dora Technologies International, Inc. by Fas-Co Coders, Inc.
- Advised on leveraged buy-out by Texas Pacific Group of Paradyne from Lucent Technologies.°
- Advised on intellectual property issues on numerous venture capital financings, private placements and IPOs.
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