About

Headed by vice president, general counsel and company secretary Andrew Etkind the legal team is made up of 15 lawyers and two non-lawyers with 10 based in the US. Evidence of the legal team’s strength can be found in the numerous instances where Garmin has stood as a codefendant in patent infringement lawsuits and escaped with a verdict of no liability while competitors have faced large settlements. After Garmin filed the very first Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) under the America Invents Act and successfully invalidated a patent, the rules governing an IPR are now controlled by “Garmin Factors.” The company also successfully challenged misleading comparative advertising by a competitor through complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Netherlands Advertising Code Committee. Garmin operates five business divisions – marine, outdoor, fitness, auto and aviation – and has a market capitalisation of $8.72bn. As the company widens its approach and international scope the team is expanding into new jurisdictions, most recently adding lawyers in Brazil and Asia.