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Degen

W. Brookes S. Degen

Associate

Degen
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Areas of Expertise

  • Litigation
  • Antitrust
  • Fiduciary Duty, Shareholder & Partnership Disputes
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Intellectual Property Disputes
  • Trust & Estate Disputes
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Publications

W. Brookes S. Degen combines litigation expertise with a business and technical background to help clients navigate complex disputes.

Brookes represents clients in litigation before state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings. His litigation experience includes commercial disputes, trust and estates disputes, insurance coverage disputes, intellectual property disputes, antitrust disputes, and data privacy disputes including through trials and appeals.

Prior to joining Shartsis Friese, Brookes litigated for and advised clients at Farella Braun + Martel LLP. During law school, he worked as a research assistant to Professor Pamela Samuelsson—studying software copyright—and visiting Professor Amnon Reichman—studying First Amendment history. As a clinical student at the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, he represented clients in a Copyright Office rulemaking proceeding and in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court.

Before his legal career, Brookes worked as a data analytics consultant first for Fortune 500 companies to measure incremental performance of business initiatives, and then for statewide political campaigns and national nonprofits to measure fundraising and advertising performance. Brookes uses his analytical nature and technical background to understand nuanced businesses and complex cases.

Education

University of California, Berkeley, School of Law; J.D., 2019

University of Pennsylvania; B.A., history, magna cum laude; minor in mathematics, 2012

Bar Admissions

California

Experience

  • Won a complete defense and attorney fee award in trial and through appeal in a trusts and estate dispute.
  • Represented an LLC member of a closely held company at trial resulting in a court ordered sale of the company to a third party at the member’s request.
  • Litigating a large-scale antitrust dispute for a public entity.
  • Won partial summary judgment for a general contractor in a coverage dispute against its insurer with tens of millions of dollars in dispute*
  • Counseled a software developer on copyright registration strategy, copyright regulation compliance, and copyright liability.*
  • Enforced a CPG company’s arbitration clause against its logistics service provider by motion and on appeal.*
  • Advised marketers in disputes with advertising platforms.*
  • Defended a large internet infrastructure company against patent infringement claims.*

Publications

Notable Publications

  • “Pandemic Restriction Challenges Face Uphill Battle in Calif.,” co-author, Law360.com, February 22, 2021

What's Happening

  • News Shartsis Friese Earns Numerous Rankings on 2026 Best Law Firms List
  • Publications Federal, State and Local Tax Developments

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