Luther Orton
Luther Orton has tried dozens of cases to judges and juries in California Superior Courts throughout the Bay Area and in United States District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts across the country. His practice focus is on business and intellectual property litigation. In recent years, many of Luther's clients have been Silicon Valley technology companies and investors, but throughout his career he also has represented banks, accounting firms, real estate developers, manufacturers and distributors, and numerous other traditional businesses.
Luther has represented numerous clients in the prosecution and defense of patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation claims. He has handled lawsuits involving claimed violations of state and federal antitrust and securities laws, as well as breaches of technology and patent transfer agreements, invention disclosure agreements, license agreements, shareholder agreements, and purchase and sale agreements.
He has prosecuted and defended cases claiming bank and real estate fraud, and has represented companies and individuals in connection with Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement Division investigations. Many of his cases have involved charges of unfair competition, interference with contract and other business torts.
Luther's recent clients have included 3dfx Interactive, Argus Electronics, Baerlocher, Boston Scientific Corporation, Consolidated I.P. Holdings, Homestore, Image Recognition Integrated Systems, LG Electronics Corporation, Levensohn Venture Partners, Matrix Pharmaceutical, RFDomus, S3 Graphics, SAP America, Seven Hills Partners, Sherwood Partners, Silicon Metrics Corporation, SonicWALL, and Tessera Technologies.
Luther speaks and writes frequently on litigation and intellectual property related subjects. He lectures in programs for professional colleagues, at Stanford Law School as a regular guest lecturer in federal procedure classes, and as a member of the faculty in the Law School's annual trial skills workshops.
Community and professional activities have included serving as Chair of the State Bar Governing Committee for Continuing Education of the Bar, serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the San Francisco Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, acting as Legal Counsel and serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Campaign for Legal Services, and participating as an appointed member of the Santa Clara County Commission on Fair Judicial Elections.
Luther graduated with a B.S. in industrial engineering from the Technological Institute at Northwestern University (Tau Beta Pi) in 1969, and earned his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School (Order of the Coif) in 1972. He spent thirty years at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP in San Francisco and Palo Alto, one year with Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich in Palo Alto, then formed Snyder Miller & Orton LLP in January 2004. Luther is married to Carol Reese Orton and has five children, three grown, two still growing.
