A law degree from Berkeley Law with a certificate in the Law and Technology Program — one of the few such credentials available when Emily Hill graduated in 2004 — positioned her to practice at the intersection of intellectual property and technology before that intersection became a crowded professional space. The Law Office of Emily S. Hill has operated in Eugene, Oregon since that same year, building a practice in trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and employment law.
Overview
The Law Office of Emily S. Hill, P.C. is an intellectual property and employment law practice based in Eugene, Oregon, founded by Emily S. Hill in 2004 immediately following her graduation from Berkeley Law. Emily Hill has practiced exclusively in Eugene for over two decades, building a solo practice that serves both businesses seeking IP protection and employees facing wrongful termination.
Emily Hill’s Berkeley Law background includes a certificate in the Law and Technology Program — a credential that reflects specialized training in the legal issues surrounding digital technology, software, and the internet during a formative period in technology law’s development. This foundation informs her IP practice, which includes trademark and copyright applications, licensing agreements, domain name disputes, and trade secret protection.
In addition to her private practice, Emily Hill serves on the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board — a role that reflects peer recognition of her professional standing within the Oregon bar. She also holds a Judge D. Lowell Jensen Public Service Award from her time at Berkeley Law, and served as Associate Editor of the Berkeley Technology Law Journal. She is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington, and to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
Practice Areas
Trademark Law: Trademark clearance searches, trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, monitoring and maintenance of trademark rights, license agreements and assignments involving trademarks, and enforcement of trademark rights. Trademark registration requires proper classification, accurate identification of goods and services, and navigating the USPTO examination process — including responding to office actions and oppositions.
Copyright Law: Copyright applications, licensing of copyrighted works, and enforcement of copyright rights. Copyright protects original creative works including software, written content, visual art, and other creative output. The firm handles both registration and licensing, as well as confidentiality agreements that protect proprietary creative and technical information.
Trade Secrets: Protection of confidential business information through appropriate contractual and legal mechanisms. Trade secret law allows businesses to protect formulas, processes, customer lists, and other competitively valuable confidential information. The firm drafts and reviews confidentiality agreements and advises on trade secret protection strategies.
Domain Name Disputes: Disputes over internet domain names, including cybersquatting claims and UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) proceedings. Domain name disputes frequently intersect with trademark rights, making trademark counsel with domain name experience particularly valuable for businesses confronting these issues.
Employment Law — Wrongful Termination: The firm represents employees in wrongful termination cases. This includes claims based on discrimination, retaliation, and other illegal bases for termination. Emily Hill approaches employee representation from the plaintiff side, advocating for workers against employers who have violated employment law.
Employer Counseling: On the employer side, the firm counsels businesses on proper employment practices to minimize legal exposure. This includes advising on compliance with employment statutes and reviewing employment policies and agreements.
Corporate and LLC Formation and Maintenance: Entity formation for small businesses and startups, including LLC formation, operating agreements, and ongoing corporate maintenance. This service provides a legal foundation for businesses that are also clients on the IP side.
Civil Litigation: Beyond IP and employment matters, the firm handles civil litigation in Oregon state and federal courts, as well as arbitration. Emily Hill has litigated claims in Oregon state courts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
Attorney Profiles
Emily S. Hill is the owner and sole practitioner of the Law Office of Emily S. Hill, P.C. She earned a B.A. in Political Science with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001 and a J.D. from Berkeley Law in 2004, graduating with a certificate in the Law and Technology Program. At Berkeley Law, she received the Judge D. Lowell Jensen Public Service Award and served as Associate Editor of the Berkeley Technology Law Journal. She was admitted to the Oregon bar in 2004, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in 2004, and to the Washington bar in 2012. She is a member of the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board. She has practiced exclusively in Eugene since 2004.
Location and Service Area
2251 Ridgeway Drive, Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: 541-344-2174
Website: https://hilloregonlaw.com/
The firm serves Eugene and surrounding Oregon communities. Emily Hill is admitted to Oregon state courts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and to Washington courts, providing litigation capability in both states.
Client Focus
The Law Office of Emily S. Hill serves two primary client groups. Businesses and individual entrepreneurs seeking trademark, copyright, trade secret, and domain name protection represent one core client type. These clients may be startups establishing brand identity through trademark registration, existing businesses licensing their creative works, or companies protecting proprietary technical processes.
Employees facing wrongful termination represent the other primary client group. Oregon employment law provides important protections against discriminatory and retaliatory termination, and Emily Hill’s practice includes advocacy for employees who have experienced illegal termination.
Emily Hill’s Berkeley Law Technology Program background is most directly applicable to technology businesses, software companies, and digital content creators who need IP protection suited to the technology sector. Her active status on the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board reflects ongoing engagement with the professional standards dimension of legal practice, which she has described as critical to client service.
FAQ
What is a trademark and why should a business register one?
A trademark is a word, name, symbol, or device that identifies the source of goods or services and distinguishes them from those of others. Federal trademark registration provides constructive notice nationwide of the registrant’s claim, the ability to bring infringement actions in federal court, and a basis for blocking importation of infringing goods. Unregistered marks have rights only in the geographic areas where they are actually used, which limits protection for growing businesses. Registration is a practical investment in brand security.
What is a trade secret and how is it protected?
A trade secret is any confidential business information that provides a competitive advantage. Unlike patents or trademarks, trade secrets are not registered — they are protected by maintaining confidentiality. Legal protection requires taking reasonable steps to keep the information secret, including use of non-disclosure agreements, restricted access, and employee confidentiality agreements. The firm advises on trade secret protection strategies and drafts the agreements that support them.
Can the firm represent both employees and employers in employment matters?
The firm represents employees in wrongful termination cases and counsels employers on proper employment practices. Representing both sides in active litigation would create a conflict of interest, but providing advisory services to employers and litigation services to employees are different functions. Prospective clients with employment matters should describe their situation to determine whether the firm can assist.
What is the Law and Technology Program at Berkeley Law?
The Law and Technology Program at Berkeley Law is a certificate program combining legal education with specialized coursework in technology law, including intellectual property, privacy, cyberlaw, and related fields. Emily Hill completed this certificate as part of her 2004 J.D. — a period when internet and digital technology law was still developing and relatively few law schools offered this level of specialized training.
Does the firm handle arbitration in addition to court litigation?
The firm handles both arbitration and civil litigation in state and federal courts. Emily Hill is described as skilled in arbitration, which is an increasingly common dispute resolution mechanism in commercial and employment contracts. For clients whose contracts require arbitration, having an attorney experienced in arbitration procedure as well as litigation is a practical advantage.
Closing
Twenty years of IP and employment law practice in Eugene, built on a Berkeley Law Technology Program foundation and sustained by service on the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board, represents a level of professional investment and community presence that solo practitioners rarely maintain without a genuine commitment to the place and the work. The Law Office of Emily S. Hill handles trademark, copyright, trade secret, and wrongful termination matters for Oregon businesses and employees from a position of specific legal training and long local experience.