Kennedy Nate is a trial lawyer focusing on complex commercial litigation. Specifically, Mr. Nate has substantial experience handling contract disputes, intellectual property disputes regarding trademarks, trade dress, and trade secrets, partnership and corporation disputes, and construction disputes.
Before joining Ray Quinney & Nebeker, Mr. Nate was a partner at the boutique commercial litigation firms of Magleby Cataxinos & Greenwood and McNeill Von Maack where he gained significant trial and appellate experience.
Mr. Nate also worked as the Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs with Nutraceutical Corporation, an international dietary supplement company, managing the company’s litigation, contracts, and intellectual property portfolio. Mr. Nate’s in-house experience provides him with unique insights into challenges facing corporate counsel and how best to serve his clients by providing cost-effective solutions to complex legal issues.
Awards and Recognition
- Mountain States Rising Stars in Super Lawyers since 2016, an honor given to only the top 2.5% of attorneys practicing in the Mountain States (Utah, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming) under the age of 40 or practicing law for less than 10 years
- Utah’s Legal Elite (Civil Litigation) in Utah Business Magazine
- The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 for Commercial Litigation
Representative Highlights
- Successfully overturned a judgment of trademark infringement based on Nutraceutical Corporation’s senior common law trademark rights. S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. v. Nutraceutical Corporation and NutraMarks, Inc., 835 F.3d 660 (7th Cir. 2016).
- Successfully obtained an award of $232,000 in disgorged profits based on S.C. Johnson’s trademark infringement of Nutraceutical Corporation’s common law trademark rights and $630,449.82 in attorneys’ fees due to the exceptional nature of the case. S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. v. Nutraceutical Corp., No. 11-CV-861-PP, 2019 WL 1320313 (E.D. Wis. Mar. 22, 2019).
- Defeated a motion for summary judgment of trademark infringement and obtained partial summary judgment on Carnet, LLC’s common law trademark infringement claim. Cornaby’s LLC v. Carnet, LLC, No. 214CV00462JNPDBP, 2017 WL 3503669, at *18 (D. Utah Aug. 15, 2017).
- Defeated a motion for summary judgment on Nutraceutical Corporation’s trade dress infringement claims and a motion to exclude an expert report on secondary meaning. Nutraceutical Corp. v. NutraChamps, Inc., No. 2:18-CV-00400-DB-DAO, 2020 WL 6382042, at *7 (D. Utah Oct. 30, 2020).
- Successfully defended a judgment dismissing claims of breach of contract based on the unavailability of emotional damages. Ward v. McGarry, 2022 UT App 62.
- E-Corp v. DSB Construction et. al., 4th Jud. Dist. Ct., Utah (June 2021) (obtained a $2.1 million judgment for the plaintiff in a complex contractual dispute and obtained summary judgment dismissing all counterclaims)
- Successfully defeated request for TRO and preliminary injunction related to hog operations in Beaver County, Utah. Phibro Biodigester, LLC v. Murphy-Brown, LLC, No. 4:22-CV-00050-RJS-PK, 2022 WL 17243727 (D. Utah Nov. 23, 2022)
Education
University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, J.D., 2012
- High Honors
University of Utah, Bachelor of Arts, Spanish, 2008
Professional and Civic Activity
- AYSO Region 126, Cottonwood Heights, Utah, June 2014 – May 2016
- Endeavor Hall Charter School, West Valley City, Utah, March 2013 – January 2014
- Utah 3rd District Juvenile Court, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 2008 – May 2009
Affiliations / Memberships
- Member of the David K. Watkiss – Sutherland II American Inn of Court.
Professional Experience
- Associate and Partner, McNeill Von Maack, 2018 - 2022
- Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs, Nutraceutical Corporation, 2017 – 2018
- Associate and Partner, Magleby Cataxinos & Greenwood 2012 – 2017
- Admitted to Practice
- Utah State Bar
United States District Court, District of Utah
United States District Court, District of Colorado
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
United States Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States Court District of New Mexico
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
