NEWS AND EVENTS

On January 9, 2024, Law360 Pulse published an article on Nicole Townes joining Friedland Cianfrani. To see the article, visit here (subscription required).

On January 7, 2024, the Daily Journal featured Nicole Townes on the front page of its print edition. To view the article, visit here (subscription required).

Partner David Kim has been named to the Board of Directors of the Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association. The members of the firm are proud of their long association with the OCIPLA. Nicole Townes is a past president of the OCIPLA, and Joe Cianfrani and Michael Friedland have both been speakers at OCIPLA events.

The firm is proud to announce that Nicole Townes has joined the firm as partner. "We're so excited to have Nicole join us," said Joe Cianfrani. "We'd worked with her for years at our prior firm, and we saw first-hand what an incredible IP litigator and trademark prosecutor she is. On top of that, Nicole brings a fresh perspective--she served for the past three years as in-house trademark counsel for one of the largest companies in the world."  For more information, visit here.

On December 9, Joe Cianfrani spoke to the Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association at its Holiday Celebration. He discussed Federal Circuit damages law on the use of prior license agreements to prove a reasonable royalty, how Rule 702 and Daubert limit their use, and the Federal Circuit's pending rehearing en banc in EcoFactor, Inc. v. Google. 

The firm represents the American Intellectual Property Law Association as amicus curiae in the Federal Circuit's rehearing en banc in EcoFactor, Inc. v. Google, Case No. 2023-1101.  The firm filed the brief on behalf of the AIPLA on November 26. To view the brief, visit here.

On November 22, 2024, the firm moved to its new home at 17901 Von Karman Ave., Ste. 925, Irvine, CA 92614.  The phone numbers remain the same.

We're proud to announce that we have invited Special Counsel David Kim to join the partnership effective January 1, 2025.    

Michael Friedland said, "[o]n top of the fact that David’s a great lawyer, he’s a perfect fit for our culture. He likes working with people. He treats everyone well. He’s patient, pleasant, and has an easy sense of humor. He’s a perfect team player. He’s exactly what we needed starting a new firm, and we’re thrilled to invite him to join the partnership.”  For more information, visit here.

On November 18, 2024, Michael Friedland, Nancy Olson of Olson Stein, and Lauren Katzenellenbogen of Knobbe Martens spoke to a joint meeting of the Orange County Bar Association's IP and Technology section and Litigation section on the topic, "Latest Issues in Trade Secrets Litigation," in Newport Beach.

On November 5, 2024, Michael Friedland spoke at the Orange County Bar Association's program, "Key Issues When Employees Leave: Complying with California's Non-Compete Laws While Protecting Trade Secrets," in Newport Beach.  

On October 31, 2024, American Marketer published Michael Friedland's article, "IP Options to Protect Products in Fashion."  The article discussed the best uses of design patents, trade dress, trademarks, and copyright to protect fashion goods.  The article can be read here.  

On August 27, 2024, Michael Friedland was among five alumni invited to speak to Harvard Law School's incoming class of first year law students to share experiences and advice.  The event was reported by Harvard Law Today.  The article can be viewed here.

On August 6, 2024, Michael Friedland moderated a discussion on the role of the U.S. International Trade Commission in patent infringement disputes. Professors Jorge L. Contreras of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, F. Scott Keiff of the George Washington University Law School, and Michael Doane of the University of Akron School of Law discussed the pros and cons of the ITC's patent jurisdiction and whether any changes are warranted in light of technology markets and supply chains that are increasingly global in scope.

On June 29, 2024, Michael Friedland spoke as part of a panel at the Orange County Bar Association's Artificial Intelligence Symposium at UC Irvine on the topic "Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property." The panel was moderated by Nancy Olson of Olson Stein and also featured Vikas Bhargava of Knobbe Martens.

On June 21, 2024, The Recorder and Law.com published Michael Friedland's article, "AI Can't Be an Inventor, but Can It Be a Patent Killer?" The article can be viewed here.  

On June 19, 2024, Michael Friedland participated in a webinar on the Supreme Court's recent decision in Vidal v. Elster, Case No. 22-704 (Jun. 13, 2024) with John Farmer of Leading-Edge Law Group.  In the decision, the Supreme Court held unanimously that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's rejection of the trademark application for the mark TRUMP TOO SMALL did not violate the First Amendment.  The panel discussed the background leading to Vidal v. Elster, reviewed the Court's decision, and discussed its implications for trademark law and free speech.

On May 21, 2024, Law360 quoted Michael Friedland in its article, "Questions Abound as Fed. Circ. Scraps Design Patent Tests." The article discussed the impact of the Federal Circuit's May 21, 2024 en banc decision in LKQ Corp. v. GM Global Technology Operations. In the decision, the court set aside the existing test for determining whether design patents are invalid as obvious, making it easier to challenge their validity. The article can be viewed here.

On May 16, 2024, Michael Friedland moderated a panel discussion on the topic, "Is Patent Eligibility Doctrine in Need of Reform?"  The panel featured the Hon. Randall Rader, Chief Judge (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Kristen Osenga, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar & Professor of Law, The University of Richmond School of Law; and Joseph Matal, Clear IP, LLC.

On May 14, 2024, Judge John Holcomb of the Central District of California and Michael Friedland spoke to the Federalist Society's Orange County Lawyers Chapter on the topic, "When Rights Collide: Law at the Intersection of the First Amendment, IP, and AI."   To view the PowerPoint for the presentation, visit here.