Peter M. Bransten

Peter Bransten, a partner in the Glaser Weil’s San Francisco office, has extensive experience practicing complex litigation in federal and state courts. His commercial litigation experience encompasses many significant matters involving intellectual property, business torts, creditors’ rights and insolvency issues.

With a long-standing strong personal interest in the visual arts, Peter frequently represents fine artists, art galleries and arts institutions in disputes and transactional matters concerning the arts, including disputes presenting copyright, authenticity and right of publicity issues, and transactions involving the licensing, purchase and sale, and commissioning of artworks. Peter currently serves on the board of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 

Peter maintains a diverse practice built on his extensive experience in:

• Complex commercial litigation
• Intellectual property litigation

Peter’s recent notable experience includes his representation of:

• A private equity firm in a successful trial involving an antique luxury sports car our client purchased in a post-auction sale for more than $5 million.
• A hair-care products manufacturer in disputes involving senior company executives under employment contracts.
• A limited partner in a partnership housing project financed with low-income housing tax credits in a dispute with a general partner.
• Current and former members of the Board of Directors of Guess?, Inc., in a lawsuit by two Jane Doe plaintiffs for allegedly “aiding and abetting” alleged sexual harassment by the company’s CEO.

Additional experience includes his representation of:

• A bankruptcy trustee in multiple adversary proceedings arising from the consolidated bankruptcy cases of a regional homebuilder, including claims for the recovery of fraudulent and preferential transfers under the Bankruptcy Code.
• A provider of computer hardware maintenance services in copyright litigation with a manufacturer of computer database applications and hardware systems.
• A regional newspaper in a dispute over rights to trademark.
• A multinational technology company in a dispute with the liquidator of an insolvent issuer of trade credit insurance.
• A pharmaceutical company in an international chamber of commerce arbitration concerning trade secrets relating to the production of a bio-pharmaceutical product.
• A pharmaceutical company in a dispute with a university over the licensing of patent rights.
• A well-known music group in a dispute involving copyright and trademark issues.
• A Germany-based insolvency administrator in an action by a private equity fund seeking to enforce the contractual obligations of a defunct internet service provider.

News

Member, California Lawyers for the Arts

Member, Copyright Society of the USA