Vasilios Peros
Professional Experience
With over 25 years of experience in legal advisory, management and engineering roles, Vasilios Peros gained legal experience at premier Baltimore-based law firms and engineering and management experience at a Fortune 100 technology company. Leveraging his business and technical experience and education, he views and understands client needs and client product/service offerings from multiple angles – not only the legal angle. He serves as general counsel for many companies and high net worth individuals, and provides legal counsel for continued growth. He has been recognized as one of Greater Baltimore, Maryland’s top attorneys, including SmartCEO’s 2016 Centers of Influence, 2015 CPA + ESQs, 2014 Power Players, and Legal Elite in 2011, 2010 and 2009.
He advises clients on business matters, including company formation, stockholders’ rights, complex business contracts, contractor agreements, employment agreements and other employment matters, non-competition agreements, commercial real estate leases, and related business disputes. He also advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate purchases and sales, debt financing and equity investments.
Mr. Peros counsels clients on technology matters, including complex technology contracts, software license and subscription agreements, international distributor and sales contracts, teaming agreements, and related technology disputes. He also advises clients on privacy matters, privacy policies, terms of service, and data protection and security.
He advises clients on intellectual property matters, including the protection and commercialization of their trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and patents, and implementation of effective worldwide intellectual property strategies. He also counsels clients on defense of their intellectual property, including infringement and misappropriation disputes. He also advises clients on intellectual property rights in connection with their estate planning and regarding government contracts.
He is Past Chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Maryland State Bar Association. Mr. Peros has also taught Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization to undergraduate and graduate students bringing a “real world” view to the university classroom.
Prior to founding his own law firm, he was a partner with Thomas & Libowitz, where he chaired that firm’s Technology & Intellectual Property practice group, and an attorney with Venable, LLP, one of The American Lawyer’s Top 100 Law Firms. He was also an engineer and manager at a Fortune 100 technology company and a senior executive at a mid-sized technology company.
His prior management experience includes management of company operations, management of multi-disciplinary product teams, and new business development. His prior engineering experience includes design, development and manufacturing of high tech products, commercialization of new technology, and coordination with regulatory agencies.
Representative Matters
- Representation of water and wastewater utility as outside technology & intellectual property legal counsel
- Represented client in sale of information technology managed services business
- Representation regarding registration and protection of global trademark portfolios
- Represented authors of textbooks in disputes regarding copyright royalties for their literary works and negotiated long term license agreements
- Represented insurance company in drafting and negotiating license agreement and related services agreement for customized web-based software platform
- Represented client in sale of heating and air conditioning business including new lease of commercial space
- Represented European pharmaceuticals company regarding drafting and negotiating executive employment agreement for its first US employee
- Representation of mortgage company regarding dispute and litigation of non-compete provisions and trade secret misappropriation
- Represented European information technology company regarding opposition to its United States trademark at Trademark Trial & Appeal Board
- Represented clients in drafting and implementing operating agreements with multiple equity classes and profit interests
- Represented client in sale of research and diagnostic life sciences business to Canadian buyer
- Representation of healthcare IT company as outside technology & intellectual property legal counsel
- Represented client in purchase of auto repair franchise businesses
- Representation regarding dispute and litigation in connection with minority stockholder oppression rights
- Represented client in the acquisition of fiber optic communications business
- Represented healthcare IT company in connection with equity investment
- Representation regarding dispute and litigation in connection with intellectual property license agreement and related royalties
- Representation of digital marketing company in connection with age discrimination claims related to Facebook job ads
- Represented client in the sale of its wireless internet business
- Represented clients in review and negotiation of commercial real estate leases and subleases
- Represented educational company in defamation dispute regarding online postings and negotiated settlement via mediation
- Prepared patent infringement and invalidity analyses and managed litigation efforts regarding issued software patent leading to invalidation of patent
Selected Publications
Maryland Paid Family and Medical Leave
Survive and Succeed: Business and Legal Issues through the COVID-19 Era
Intellectual Property: Licensing for Revenues
Trade Secrets and Confidential Information: Who has Access to Them?
European General Data Protection Regulation: Its Impact in the USA
Stockholders’ Agreements: Plan Ahead for Owner Exits
Estate Planning: What About the Intellectual Property?
International Trademarks: A Foreign Company’s Rights in the USA
Trademark Selection and Response to Trademark Office Actions
Pre-Sale Due Diligence as a Part of Normal Business Operations
IT Services Agreements: Liability of Outsourced IT Services
Honors & Awards
Vasilios Peros has been recognized as one of the top attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland, including SmartCEO’s 2016 Centers of Influence, 2015 CPA + ESQs, 2014 Power Players, and Legal Elite in 2011, 2010 and 2009.
He received Venable LLP’s 2005 Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award and the American Bar Association’s TIPS Section’s 2005 Public Service Honor Roll Award.
He also received the Bar Association of Baltimore City’s 2005 Presidential Award for his efforts in developing and launching the Association’s new website presence.
He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He was recognized by AIAA for his substantial contributions of 25 years to the advancement of the arts, sciences and technology of aeronautics and astronautics.
Bar Association Activities
Mr. Peros is Past Chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and a Past Fellow of the MSBA’s Leadership Academy. He also served on the MSBA’s Budget & Finance Committee.
He has also served in other bar roles as a member of the American Bar Association (Past Chair, TIPS Intellectual Property Law Committee), Bar Association of Baltimore City (Past Chair, Technology Committee and Membership Committee) and District of Columbia Bar Association.
He is a Fellow of the Baltimore Bar Foundation and the Maryland Bar Foundation.
Teaching Activities
Mr. Peros has taught undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of intellectual property and technology commercialization, bringing a “real world” view to the university classroom, including the following courses:
Intellectual Property Law, Johns Hopkins University
Legal Issues in Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business, College of Notre Dame of Maryland