Dean is a principal in the litigation department, and focuses his practice on complex commercial and intellectual property litigation. He has substantial experience in litigating trademark, trade dress, patent, copyright, trade secret, and false advertising cases. He also has significant experience in litigating minority shareholder disputes and in appellate practice.
After law school, Dean served as a law clerk for Donald P. Lay, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In addition, he has been an adjunct professor at the William Mitchell College of Law and a Special Assistant City Attorney for the City of Minneapolis. Dean was named GPM's Pro Bono All Star for 2006.
Experience
- Represented public medical device company pursuing breach of merger agreement; case resolved with merger closing
- Represented plaintiffs and defendants in numerous trademark, copyright, patent, advertising, and deceptive trade practices cases
- Northern PCS Services, LLC v. Sprint Nextel Corp., 2007 WL 951546 (D. Minn. March 27, 2007) (represented regional affiliate in dispute with Sprint Corporation regarding exclusivity rights; prevailed on summary judgment motion, which led to buyout for over $300 million)
- Taylor Corp. v. Four Seasons Greetings, LLC, 403 F.3d 958 (8th Cir. 2005) (successfully represented plaintiff in copyright infringement dispute regarding greeting card designs; affirmed on appeal)
- Won summary judgment as lead counsel for fitness equipment manufacturer in dealer termination case; affirmed on appeal
- Represented manufacturer of storage area network technology in trade secret case against competitor
- Straumann Comp. v. Lifecore Biomedical, Incorporated, 278 F. Supp. 2d 130 (D. Mass. 2003) (represented defendant dental implant manufacturer in trade dress product design case; motion for preliminary injunction denied; summary judgment for defendant)
- Chafoulias v. Peterson and ABC, 668 N.W. 2d 642 (Minn. 2003) (represented media defendant in defamation case: judgment for defendant, that plaintiff is a limited purpose public figure, who cannot prove actual malice, affirmed by Minnesota Supreme Court)
- Represented large tire manufacturer in negligence action against insurance broker, resulting in $3.1 million jury award
- Lead counsel for plaintiffs and defendants in several real estate and commercial landlord-tenant cases
- Represented plaintiffs and defendants in significant minority shareholder cases
Publications
- Qui Tam Provision of Patent False Marking Statute Declared Unconstitutional by Federal District Court, coauthor, Gray Plant Mooty Litigation Update, April 13, 2011
- "Trade Secrets vs. The First Amendment: Is Your Confidential Information Safe from Internet Disclosure?," Dorsey & Whitney Intellectual Property Law Updates, coauthor, April 2000
- "Toward a Model Expert Witness Act: An Examination of the Use of Expert Witnesses and a Proposal for Reform," Iowa Law Review, Vol. 80, coauthor, July 1995
Presentations
- "Declaratory Judgment Jurisdiction: New Risks and Strategies in Trademark Disputes," Gray Plant Mooty Hot Topics in IP Litigation Roundtable, Febuary 2009
- "Non-Compete/Confidentiality Agreements," Gray Plant Mooty Corporate Counsel Breakfast Series, September 2005
Education
- University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., with high distinction, 1996
Order of the Coif - University of Northern Iowa, with highest honors, 1993
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association, Litigation section
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
Honors and Distinctions
- "Minnesota Rising Star," Thomson Reuters, 2004, 2006-2011
- Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow, 2008-2009
Community Involvement
- Gray Plant Mooty's pro bono committee, chair
- Housing Committee for Volunteer Lawyers Network, cochair
- Minnesota Urban Debate League, advisory board chair
- Edina High School, former high school debate coach