Background
After college Gregory was a financial analyst in Tokyo for two years where he learned to speak and read Japanese. He was one of the youngest foreigners to sit for the Japanese language equivalent to the Series 7 securities exam. Although Gregory chose Temple Law School in Philadelphia, the Dean Robert Reinstein had helped Temple University develop a campus in Tokyo and Gregory began to collaborate with the Dean on a Temple Law Japan program, now in its 15th year. Under Dean Reinstein’s tutelage, Gregory write an analysis of the role of rice in Japanese politics.
Gregory has practiced law in various environments.
After returning from his Fulbright in Tokyo in the Fall of 1993, Gregory was invited to publish some of his findings in a work entitled Japanese Research Projects and Intellectual Property Rights (US Commerce Department, 1996). In 1993, Gregory formed the Arts and Technology Group® in New York City to combine work with clients in the arts (namely film), software and information technology. Gregory’s earliest work was as a litigator. Gregory worked with the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in New York City representing independent songwriters, film producers and arts entities. One of his first cases resulted in obtaining a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief on behalf of a Dominican Republic film maker seeking to screen her version of Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Judge Kimba Wood resided.
From 1994, Gregory continued his practice as an associate with Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb and Soffen in New York City, a firm celebrating it’s 80th year anniversary with a focus on patent, trademark and copyright litigation. Gregory’s practice there focused on the learning to prosecute semi-conductor patents and trademarks, and on copyright litigation. In addition to learning the basics of trademark application work, drafting patents and marketing the firm to Japanese and Korean technology companies, Gregory was permitted to continue to work on behalf of the film maker. Rutchik successfully leveraged the temporary restraining order into a seizure order and permanent injunction for my client.
Gregory also began leveraged his relationships in Japan’s government and his experiences in US trade to work on US-Japan trade disputes. In 1991, after an internship at the USTR’s office of Japan and China, Gregory was hired to represent Allied Stamp, a US wholly-owned subsidiary of the Blue Chip Stamp Company in Japan to assist to ease the effects of a Japanese anti-trust law that prohibited the sale of “buy-one get one free” type promotions in small retail shopping districts. The client was gracious enough to have Gregory work directly with Senator Don Nickles, members of DOJ’s Anti-trust group and Gregory continued to communicate with his former superiors at USTR. Gregory’s job was to meet with many of the Japanese government regulators he had gotten to know during his Fulbright year, to meet stake holders in retail including woman’s rights groups and consumer groups, and to forge relationships in industry with the hopes of lessening any objections to the proposed changes. The result was that this non-trade barrier was included in side talks between the US and Japan and eventually led to an easing of these barriers. Read more here. Additional engagements followed.
In the Winter of 1997, Gregory moved to California, took the California bar and joined the Information Technology Practice Group of Cooley Godward LLP in Palo Alto, California, to work on software and information technology clients. Gregory’s focus there was on drafting, negotiating and advising on licensing, distribution, development, spinouts and other agreements. Gregory then joined two Cooley Godward clients as assistant general counsel – noosh.com a web based procurement entity and at Loudcloud, an infrastructure managed services company.
The Arts and Technology Law Group reformed in San Francisco and ultimately became a partnership with the firm of Richard J. Idell.
Education
Gregory received a J.D. in 1992 from the Beasley School of Law, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Dean’s List. Gregory received a B.A. in American Studies from Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1987.
Gregory was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Law from 1992 – 1993. Gregory’s focus was the Licensing of technology by Japanese information technology companies. Gregory has traveled throughout the world, lived in Tokyo for four years after college and law school and speak fluent Japanese. He is also conversant in French.
In 2005, Gregory received his LLM in Taxation from Golden Gate University School of Law.