Godfrey & Kahn S.C.: Zachary Willenbrink

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Zach is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity, and Technology & Digital Business practice groups. He holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional/US (CIPP/US) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Zach helps clients navigate data privacy, intellectual property, non-competition, trade secret, trade practices, and other complex commercial and business disputes, including appeals.

Prior to joining Godfrey & Kahn, Zach spent more than four years clerking for Judge J.P. Stadtmueller of the Eastern District of Wisconsin. While at Marquette University Law School, he served as a research assistant to a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and to Dean Joseph Kearney. He also interned with Judge Lynn Adelman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Outside of work, Zach enjoys distance long-distance running, reading fiction and listening to and writing music. He is a former member and songwriter of several touring bands.

Representative Experience

Prevailing on a motion to dismiss fraud and breach-of-contract claims brought by a purchaser following its acquisition of a large regional business, then obtaining an affirmance of that dismissal on appeal

In a contentious, complex business dispute with components in several different courts:

Defeating a motion for an anti-suit injunction filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery
Obtaining reinstatement of a breach of contract claim following discovery
Defeating a motion for summary judgment

Represented U.S. dairy organizations and companies, and prevailed in a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board trial and subsequent district-court appeal, opposing the attempted registration by Swiss and French organizations of GRUYERE as a certification mark in U.S.

Obtaining multiple temporary restraining orders against departing employees on the basis of enforcing non-competition agreements and prohibiting trade-secret theft

Successfully defending departing employees against a request for a temporary restraining order and obtaining dismissal of multiple trade-secret-related claims alleged against them

Prevailing in a pro bono appeal before the Seventh Circuit on behalf of an Illinois state prisoner alleging civil rights violations

Achieving transfer of a case alleging false advertising and unfair trade practices, on the basis of a lack of personal jurisdiction, to a more favorable venue

Compelling arbitration in a complex corporate governance dispute between majority and minority shareholders

Settling multiple trade-practice and consumer-protection claims, including putative class actions

Ensuring the return of master tapes of a filmmaker’s documentary, which had been purchased and temporarily lost by a large media distributor