Phil Goter Image

Phil Goter

Investment Manager & Legal Counsel

Omni Bridgeway

Phil Goter is an Investment Manager and Legal Counsel at Omni Bridgeway. Phil leverages his extensive intellectual property expertise to advance the company’s IP initiatives and expand the company’s litigation funding presence both locally in Minneapolis, Minnesota and across the United States. Phil handles matters through the entire lifecycle of the funding relationship, including sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring IP and commercial investments through to resolution.

Before joining Omni Bridgeway, Phil was a principal at Fish & Richardson P.C. in Minneapolis. While there, he gained over 11 years of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, antitrust and competition law, and FDA clearance.  His practice also spanned numerous technologies, including autonomous vehicles, telecommunications, 4G/5G, mobile computing, computer and network security, computer hardware, artificial intelligence/machine learning, GPS, software, home automation, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

Phil teaches intellectual property and entrepreneurship as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. He is a member of the Expert Network for Lunar Startups, an incubator specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high-potential entrepreneurs.

He received his J.D. with High Distinction and Honors from The University of Iowa College of Law, where he was a Contributing Editor of the Iowa Law Review and graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif. He received his M.B.A. from The University of Iowa Tippie School of Management and his M.S and B.S. in Computer Science from The University of North Dakota.

Recent Articles by Phil Goter

How Patent Owners Should Be Rethinking Venue Selection and Case Strategy in a World Without Waco

With Judge Alan Albright no longer a lock for patent litigants in the Western District of Texas, prospective claimants and their counsel should be rethinking their venue selection strategies. Litigants and lawyers who previously relied on Judge Albright’s favorable procedural rules and efficient trial schedules as a proxy for more rigorous due diligence will now need to take a closer look at the merits of their cases when considering whether and where to file. For those navigating this new world order, litigation funders serve as a valuable resource. Experienced funders can offer objective advice about the strengths and weaknesses of complex patent infringement cases, strategic insights about potential litigation venues, and non-recourse financing for meritorious cases.

Complex IP Challenges in Autonomous Vehicles

On August 16, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it had opened a probe into Tesla’s driver-assistance technologies after it identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which a Tesla vehicle had struck an emergency-response vehicle. All Tesla vehicles involved had been using the automaker’s Autopilot feature at the time of the crashes, which enables the vehicles to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically. The crashes have attracted the scrutiny of lawmakers and regulators of Autopilot and similar technologies. With increased attention being paid to AV safety, AV companies are shifting their research and development and IP strategies toward technologies designed to address consumers’ real-world safety concerns.

Past Events with Phil Goter

IPWatchdog LIVE 2023

September 17-19, 2023