Areas of Concentration

  • Commercial Agreements
  • Technology Agreements
  • Intellectual Property Counseling
  • E-Commerce & Data Privacy
  • International
  • Dispute Resolution & Commercial Litigation

Practical Experience

Formerly General Counsel and Business Development for Pinpoint Insight, Inc., a start-up developer of cutting-edge software to manage large-scale electronic document reviews in complex litigation.  Developed extensive legal, business, and technical understanding of the emerging legal field of electronic discovery.

General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Creditor Relations and Public Affairs of The Ballenger Group, LLC, a business process outsourcing and technology services company.  Established legal department.  Obtained key trademark and patent rights for groundbreaking software technology.  Managed numerous outside counsel to successfully resolve alleged false advertising and Gramm-Leach-Bliley (privacy) violations.  Launched public relations and federal lobbying campaign with a national public affairs group, which involved industry-leading new media and Internet campaigns.  Managed in-house legal staff in establishing formal “best practices” complaint handling process, contracts, and consumer disclosures.

Partner in the Outsourcing and Technology Section of Hughes & Luce LLP (now KL Gates LLP) in its Austin office.

Previously worked in the Intellectual Property Work Group at Irell & Manella, LLP in its Los Angeles office.

While in private practice, Mr. Brunel worked extensively on complex software licensing deals; large, cutting-edge e-commerce and outsourcing transactions; trademark counseling, prosecution, and dispute resolution; and intellectual property audits in due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.  He is familiar with all types of complex software and hardware agreements, including software development, license, escrow, maintenance, outsourcing, and bundling/OEM/VAR agreements, as well as employee/consultant professional services agreements.  He has negotiated all major types of Internet transactions, e.g., Web content syndication, co-branding, and promotion agreements and Web affiliate, marketing, and hosting agreements.  Finally, he has worked on all forms of trademark transactions, including complex license and settlement agreements, and trademark litigation and prosecution counseling, including Internet domain name disputes.

During his private practice career, Mr. Brunel has helped the following sample of clients: Texas A&M University System, Toppan Photomasks, NBCi (the public subsidiary of NBC that served as its Internet portal), AOL, Allbusiness.com, CNET, Vignette, The J. Paul Getty Trust (which owns the Getty Museum), Hilton Hotels, Los Angeles Times, Measat Broadcasting (the Malaysian state monopoly DTH television station), Dayton Hudson (the owner of Target), First Interstate Bancorp (acquired by Wells Fargo), Softbank, Motown Records, National Education Corporation, Intel, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant, Perot Systems, Peter Norton, and EDS.

Admitted to the State Bars of Texas and California.

Education

  • LL.M., with Honors, in Commercial and Corporate Law from the University of London, Queen Mary & Westfield College.
  • J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  He was the Chief Articles and Notes Editor of the Texas International Law Journal.
  • Masters in Public Affairs, with Highest Honors, from The University of Texas L.B.J. School of Public Affairs, where he ranked first in his class.
  • Fulbright Scholarship to perform research in Krakow, Poland.  He also studied on a scholarship for a year at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany.
  • B.A. from Georgetown University, magna cum laude.  While at Georgetown University, he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and selected as a Baker Scholar.

Articles Written & Speaking Engagements

Mr. Brunel has given numerous presentations to professional organizations about legal and business issues regarding technology and intellectual property.  He has authored many articles, including:

André Brunel, "Hiring Partners Should Consider In-Housers’ Skills When Recruiting," 23:24 Texas Lawyer 26, August 20, 2007.

Marc Shivers & André Brunel, “Contractual Limitations of Liability (a/k/a “LOLs,” or Why the Other Party is Laughing Out Loud),” 19:5 Computer & Internet Lawyer 6, May 2002.

André Brunel & Greg Sapire, “Beyond Banners:  Restructuring Portal Advertising Deals,” 2:6 Internet Law & Business 485, April 2001.

André Brunel, “Crown Jewels of the Internet; Trademark Rights Overshadow Copyrights on the Web,” 16:27 Texas Lawyer 29, September 18, 2000