Jim Steffen is a Minneapolis-based partner in Faegre Baker Daniels' intellectual property group, with a practice emphasizing trademark, copyright and unfair competition litigation and counseling.

Jim has for many years been Target Corporation's primary outside intellectual property counsel. In that role, Jim was intimately involved in the 1999 formation of Target Brands, Inc., Target's brand management subsidiary, and works closely with Target Brands in its efforts to define, protect and enhance its valuable marks, brands and other IP assets around the world. Jim has represented Target, Target Brands and various of Target's other subsidiaries in dozens of patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition actions pending across the United States, and has also advised Target with respect to international IP disputes.

Other clients to whom Jim provides comprehensive trademark and marketing law advice include Bluestem Brands, Inc., Land O'Lakes, Inc. and Life Time Fitness, Inc.

Litigated matters in which Jim has taken a lead role include:

• Hugunin v. Land O'Lakes, Inc. (N.D. Ill. 2012) (trademark infringement) 
• Select Comfort Corporation v. Plushbeds, Inc. (D. Minn. 2012) (trademark infringement)
• Lifecore Biomedical LLC v. Life Core Technologies, Inc. (D. Minn. 2011) (trademark infringement)
• Penshurst Trading, Inc. v. Target Corporation  (S.D.N.Y. 2011) (trade dress infringement)
• Traverse City Film Festival v. Martone (W.D. Mich. 2011) (trademark infringement)
• Xcedex v. VMware, Inc. (D. Minn. 2011) (copyright infringement)
• Distinctive Stone Interiors, Inc. v. Design Surfaces, Inc. (D. Minn. 2010) (trademark infringement)
• Ty Inc. v. Target Corporation (N.D. Ill. 2010) (trademark infringement)
• GoClear LLC v. Target Corporation (N.D. Cal. 2009) (trademark infringement)
• Diane von Furstenburg Studios v. Target Brands, Inc. (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (trade dress infringement)
• Payless ShoeSource WorldWide v. Target Corporation (D. Kan 2008) (trademark infringement)
• Williams-Sonoma, Inc. v. Target Corporation (N.D. Cal. 2008) (unfair competition)
• Oakley Inc. v. Target Corporation (S.D. Cal. 2006) (design patent infringement)
• Three Dots Inc. v. Target Corporation (C.D. Cal. 2005) (trademark infringement)   
• ASICS Corporation v. Target Corporation (D. Minn. 2004) (trademark infringement)
• Christopher & Banks Inc. v. Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. (D. Minn. 2004) (copyright infringement)
• Fat Wallet, Inc. v. Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc., et al. (N.D. Ill. 2004) ( constitutional challenged to the DMCA)
• GFI America, Inc. v. Tecumseh Poultry, Inc. (D. Minn. 2004) (trademark infringement)  
• Nutrition Specialties Inc. v. Life Time Fitness, Inc. (C.D. Cal. 2003) (trademark infringement)
• Radiator Specialty Co. v. Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. (D. Minn. 2001) (unfair competition)
• AGA AB v. AGA Medical Corporation (D. Minn. 2000) (trademark infringement)

Honors

• World Trademark Review — World's Leading Trademark Professionals, Enforcement & Litigation and Prosecution & Strategy, 2012