Armand J.(A.J.) Zottola

Working at the intersection of commerce and technology, A.J. Zottola focuses his practice on the exploitation of intellectual property, intangible, and technology assets in business and strategic relationships.

Mr. Zottola’s skills enable him to handle all types of issues, negotiations, and agreements involving:

His extensive experience also helps clients resolve and craft settlement arrangements for misappropriation and infringement matters and for disputes involving commercial and licensing agreements. In addition, he regularly counsels clients on intellectual property, e-commerce and privacy issues, and prosecutes and manages U.S. and foreign trademark and copyright portfolios. 

His in-depth knowledge helps clients achieve practical and creative solutions to procure, exploit, manage and protect their intangible and proprietary assets.  Whether resolving employer/employee intellectual property ownership issues, assessing new technology developments, or acquiring technology assets through mergers and acquisitions, Mr. Zottola assists a variety of companies and funding sources in maximizing asset value, identifying new opportunities for business expansion and generation, and preventing the unwanted loss or infringement of proprietary rights.

Mr. Zottola regularly represents U.S. and foreign enterprises, from Fortune 500 companies and small start-ups to trade and professional associations. Industries include software, e-commerce, information technology, electronics, media and entertainment, medical products, toys and other consumer products, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, telecommunications and other newer technologies.

Having worked exclusively in the technology space since the beginning of the Internet age in the 1990s, Mr. Zottola has extensive experience in the areas of:

• licenses and technology transfers;
• outsourcing, professional, consulting, and Internet-enabled service arrangements;
• distribution, supply, reseller, and manufacturing arrangements;
• e-commerce, information technology, data processing, and proprietary information agreements;
• strategic partnerships and alliances;
• trademark and copyright prosecution;
• technology and intellectual property due diligence;
• mergers, sales, dispositions, and acquisitions; and
• co-branding/marketing agreements, publishing agreements, and franchising agreements and networks. 

Mr. Zottola has represented:

• a large technical and software services contractor in devising new open source software business models for its products and solutions;
• a large, publicly-held leader in enterprise storage management software in connection with the intellectual property aspects of acquiring a $403 million publicly held software company that provided data storage, access and e-mail management solutions;
• a large, publicly held global business and information technology company in orchestrating the intellectual property aspects of selling its global utilities practice for approximately $26 million;
• a privately held Internet entertainment and marketing business in selling all its technology assets (including its entire trademark and patent portfolio) to a large media company; and
• a large, publicly held pharmaceutical product wholesaler in connection with the intellectual property aspects of its joint venture with another public company to form an independent health informatics business.

Mr. Zottola’s recent dispute resolution experience includes representing:

• a large non-profit organization in a breach of contract dispute with its data management systems provider;
• a leading children’s toy company in its defense of a trademark and copyright infringement lawsuit, which also involved business tort and unfair competition claims;
• a leading scented candle manufacturer and distributor in its pursuit of trademark and copyright infringement, business tort and false advertising claims against a competitor; and
• a software company in a breach of contract dispute.