Gauntlett & Associates Obtains Full Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Costs Incurred Against Claimant

On April 1, 2015 Judge James V. Selna of the United States District Court, Central District of California, Southern Division, entered an order on behalf of Defendant, Armano Luxury Alloys, Inc. (“Armano”) granting its motion for attorneys’ fees and costs pursuant to both 35 U.S.C. § 285 and 15 U.S.C. § 1117, awarding attorneys fees…

Buried Treasure – Part Three

DO “BURIED TREASURES” EXIST?  Part Three of a Three Part Series Ascertaining Whether Buried Treasure Exists Requires a Five-Part Analysis These issues include: 1.       Did the company give notice to the insurers on risk as of the date of the first alleged “wrongful act” as well as all subsequent carriers and those at higher levels…

Buried Treasure – Part Two

WHY LOOK FOR “BURIED TREASURE”? Part Two of a Three Part Series Intellectual Property Lawsuits Are Expensive It is not uncommon, pursuant to AIPLA surveys for companies to expend $500,000 to $1,000,000 for defense of trademark and copyright infringement lawsuits.  More than five times that sum may be expended for patent infringement lawsuits.  Where insurer…

“Buried Treasure” – Part One

“BURIED TREASURE” – SECURING REIMBURSEMENT FOR MONIES EXPENDED IN PAST INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWSUITS  Part One of a Three-Part Series Introduction Companies looking for extra money in these tough economic times may have an answer from the past.  The vast majority of insurer denial letters for intellectual property lawsuits lack merit.  Therefore, companies who have litigated…

Media Liability Did Not Cover Claims For Infringement of Title or Slogan in Unfair Competition Lawsuit Under Media Liability Policy

Interstate Bakeries Corp. v. OneBeacon Ins. Co., ___ F. Supp. 2d ___, 2011 WL 767055 (W.D. Mo. Feb. 25, 2011) The OneBeacon policy provides “advertising and personal injury liability” coverage for “claims arising from an occurrence committed by the insured during the policy term in or for scheduled advertising and arising from: . . .…

Sherman Antitrust Action Did Not Fall Within “Advertising Injur” Coverage for “Use of Another’s Advertising Idea In Your ‘Advertisement'”

Rose Acre Farms, Inc. v. Columbia Cas. Co., No. 4:09-cv-00135-SEB-WGH, 2011 WL 693601 (S.D. Ind. Feb. 18, 2011) Allegations that Rose Acre “marketed” its shell egg products which did not specifically reference Rose Acre’s advertisement of its eggs as properly priced in light of animal husbandry concerns in accordance with a United Egg Products (“UEP”)…

Commercial General Liability (“CGL”) Insurer Must Defend Suit Alone Under Atypical Director and Officer (D&O) Policy “Other Insurance” Provisions

Fieldston Prop. Owners Ass’n, Inc. v. Hermitage Ins. Co., Inc., 16 N.Y.3d 257, 945 N.E.2d 1013 (2011) The New York Court of Appeals, answering a certified question from the New York Appellate Division concluded that under the terms of Federal’s D & O policy “other insurance” exists which would cover the ‘loss’ arising from the…