Jason P. Stearns
Partner
Phone: (813) 488-2926
Fax: (813) 488-2960
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Claudia J. Kitchell
Call(813) 488-2932Email[email protected]
Preparation is the be-all of good trial work. Everything else - felicity of expression, improvisational brilliance - is a satellite around the sun. Thorough preparation is that sun.
About
About
Jason P. Stearns is the Tampa Office Managing Partner and member of the Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups.
Jason is a trial lawyer who practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. He has litigated and tried several patent, copyright and trademark infringement claims in federal courts throughout the country. In addition, he also represents clients in various industries with regard to contract, fraud, trade secret and other business disputes.
Prior to joining Freeborn, Jason worked at Phelps Dunbar LLP. He also clerked for a federal judge and served in the U.S. Navy aboard two nuclear powered submarines as a nuclear propulsion plant operator and diver.
Representative Matters
Representative Matters
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Representation of a large plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical company in a copyright infringement dispute; obtained a successful jury verdict that defendants willfully infringed the client's copyright in a proprietary training manual and defeating intervenor's declaratory judgment claims for invalidity and ownership.
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Representation of an insurance intermediary in a federal court bench trial; obtained a complete defense verdict defeating claims alleging violations of state and federal statutes and unlawful interference with a business relationship as a result of the placement of force-placed hazard insurance on mortgaged properties being serviced by the client's customer.
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Representation of a sun tan lotion manufacturer in a trademark infringement dispute with one if its competitors; obtained a successful jury verdict that found the defendant liable for its profits gained by infringing the client's common law trademark rights.
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Representation of a publicly traded silicone manufacturer; obtained a complete jury verdict in a complex U.C.C. matter and obtained a dismissal of all counterclaims seeking seven figure damages.
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Representation of a closely held company that creates and licenses photographic images for use in advertising; obtained a favorable settlement for a copyright holder against several defendants that were using copyrighted photographic images without a license.
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Representation of a manufacturer of silicone gel liners for prosthetics; worked on a team that obtained an eight figure judgment in a patent infringement lawsuit against a competitor that made products that infringe on that patented technology (silicone-based gel products).
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Representation of a large manufacturer regarding an ingress/egress easement it owned at one of its distribution centers; obtained a "mid-trial" favorable settlement after jury selection and after several rulings by the court on matters of law.
Honors & Awards
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America© - Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property - 2023
- The Florida Bar President’s Award of Merit, 2022
- Tampa Magazine - Top Lawyers 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 - Litigation: Intellectual Property
- Super Lawyers - 2019-2022, Intellectual Property Litigation
- Super Lawyers - Rising Stars - 2017-2018
- Florida Trend Magazine - 2019-2022 Florida Legal Elite
- Florida Trend Magazine - Legal Elite Up & Comers
- Tampa Bay Business Journal - "Up and Comer" - 2016
Recent Recognition
Professional Activities
Professional Activities
- Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter
- Board of Directors (2014-2022)
- Executive Committee, President (present), Vice President (2021), Treasurer (2020), Secretary (2019)
- The Florida Bar Civil Procedure Rules Committee
- Committee Member (2016-2022)
- Vice Chair (June 2019-June 2021)
- Chair (July 2021-June 2022)
- The Florida Bar Code & Rules of Evidence Committee (July 2022-present)
- The Florida Bar Covid-19 Pandemic Recovery Task Force (appointed by The Florida Bar President) (2021-2022)
- The Florida Bar Special Committee on Changes to the Practice of Law (appointed by The Florida Bar President) (2022-present)
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
- American Bar Association (Fellow)
- Stetson University College of Law (Adjunct Professor and Advocacy Coach)
- Defense Research Institute
Speaking Engagements
• Moderator, "Judicial Panel on E-Discovery," Federal Bar Association, December 2013
• Speaker, "Update in eDiscovery Case Law", ESI Roundtable, December 2013
• Presenter, "Basic Federal Practice", Motions for Summary Judgment, Florida Bar, April 2014
• Speaker, "What You Need to Know About Federal Court Practice," Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter, July 2015
• Speaker, ACC-WCFL CLE, "Intellectual Property Playbook," July 2015
• Presenter, "Basic Intellectual Property", Florida Bar "Basic Business Law" CLE, May 2016
• Co-Presenter, "Daubert In Florida: The Past, Present, and Future", Sarasota Bench Bar Conference, May 2016
• Speaker, "Motion Practice Tips and Common Mistakes," Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter, January 2017
• Co-Presenter, "Daubert or Frye: Where Do We Go From Here," Sarasota Bench Bar Conference, August 2017
• Co-Presenter, "Witness Court Skills," Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter, April 2018
Teaching Experience
- Adjunct Professor, Stetson University College of Law (Electronic Discovery, Federal Pre-Trial Practice, International Sales and Arbitration)
Perspectives
Perspectives
News
Insights
Events
Media
Media
Publications
- Co-Author, "The opioid crisis and the products-completed insurance exclusion," Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw Journal Insurance Coverage, (April 6, 2017)
- Author, Navigating Intellectual Property, available at http://www.climbingbusinessjournal. com/navigating-intellectual-property-law/ (July 25, 2016)