Since graduating from BYU’s law school in 1987, Jim Lundberg has spent decades in the legal field, often at the forefront of intellectual property law. After taking a year-long sabbatical to travel the world with his five daughters, Lundberg has joined the Maschoff Brennan firm. His goal isn’t to chase partnership but to reconnect with his love of practicing law while maintaining a healthy balance between his career, personal time and family.
Lundberg hasn’t always prioritized mental well-being over profit. Years ago, when he lost his infant son, he buried himself in work, often clocking 80 hours per week to numb the anger and pain. His tailspin took a toll on his life.
“That’s how I dealt with the anger and the mental impact of it,” he said. “Ultimately, I got to the point where it was going to affect every other relationship I had in my life. I decided I needed to make a change.”
Before the tragedy, Lundberg worked as a law clerk for a federal judge and later entered private practice with several firms, including Salt Lake City’s Snell & Wilmer. After the death of his son, he realized he needed to take a different path.
Lundberg reached out to a contact at Utah-based WordPerfect Corp., hoping that an in-house role would get him back on track.
“I went to work for them with the Business Software Alliance. Back then, copyright infringement by companies, especially in China, was prominent,” he said. “I decided to transition to the corporate practice, or in-house practice, and that was the beginning of my life in the corporate practice role.”
It was the start of a long career as an intellectual property attorney, a job that has allowed him to work with several publicly traded companies, including Novell. He also operated as associate general counsel for Vivint Solar and vice president/deputy general counsel at Vivint Smart Home, while serving on the Mapleton City Council.
“I realized that in the end, our life and our lifestyle choices are much more important than the financial side of things,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I stayed with a lot of the in-house roles. They pay well, but the stress level is not nearly as high. I’ve been blessed to have an amazing career that’s been beneficial for me and my lifestyle.”
Although he worked with Maschoff Brennan from 2013 to 2014, his new “of counsel” role with the firm lets him pursue his love for intellectual law while granting him time to enjoy his off-work pursuits and spend time with family.
Things have changed since his first foray into intellectual property law with WordPerfect, when software was distributed on floppy disks. His work had him on the cutting edge of software patent law and he developed a reputation in the field, often traveling to foreign countries to help conduct raids with local law enforcement to take down fraudulent software distributors.
Now, with AI disrupting all industries, Lundberg is back on the leading edge of intellectual property law. He admits it’s exhilarating to be part of something so exciting and world-changing.
“Being able to enforce and protect those property rights is now becoming much more difficult with the implication of AI and how that’s created and how it’s distributed,” he said. “It’s exciting. That’s why I got into law. It can be an adrenaline rush to figure out the nuances of different ideas and how to protect a client’s interests.”
Maschoff Brennan welcomed Lundberg back with open arms. The firm appreciates his wealth of corporate experience and unique perspective, garnered through hard work and firsthand knowledge.
“We have worked closely with Jim for years, both as a partner and client. He has exceptional judgment. We are thrilled to welcome Jim back to the firm,” said Sterling Brennan, partner at Maschoff Brennan. “Jim’s deep understanding of the legal and business challenges our clients encounter today, honed by his years of firsthand experience at the executive level, makes him an invaluable asset to our litigation team and to our clients.”