Brett R. Tobin
Partner
Brett R. Tobin concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, real estate disputes, and intellectual property litigation. Brett works to help clients navigate their way through complex issues and disputes, seeking out creative and efficient solutions to their problems. Through his experience, Brett has represented individuals and Fortune 500 companies in both state and federal court as well as before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and various other administrative bodies.
Brett has been practicing in Hawaii since 2011, earning recognition by Best Lawyers for the past three years. Brett started his career at the renowned litigation firm of Williams & Connolly in Washington, DC, spending five years there gaining invaluable experience working on a variety of high stakes matters. Before that, Brett clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Brett serves on the Publications Committee of the Hawaii State Bar Association and he volunteers his time working with the Access to Justice project in Hawaii District Court as well as supporting other local pro bono programs.
Brett’s pre-law career included two years as a sports writer for a newspaper in Virginia and a stint teaching English at Beijing Normal University in China.
Bar Admissions
- Hawaii, 2011
- U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- J.D. (2004), University of Virginia, School of Law, Notes Editor, Virginia Law Review, Semi-finalist, William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition, Raven Society
- B.A. (1997), College of William and Mary
- Hawaii State Bar Association
- American Bar Association Hawaii
- District of Columbia Bar
- Virginia Bar Association
Intellectual Property
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Commercial and business litigation
- Real estate disputes
- Best Lawyers, Commercial Litigation, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Copyright Protection for Fashion Designs in the Wake of Star Athletica, Hawaii Bar Journal, September 2018
- Raw Emotions and Fishy Judgment: Aloha Poke Company and the Cost Benefit Analysis of Cease and Desist Letters in the Social Media Age, Hawaii Bar Journal, February 2019