NEWS AND EVENTS

April 14, 2026 - Friedland Cianfrani LLP has been ranked in the Chambers USA California Spotlight Guide 2026 and recognized as a leading medium-sized to small law firm offering a credible alternative to Big Law. Chambers is widely recognized as the "gold standard" among law firm ranking services.

The firm was selected based on an independent and in-depth market analysis, coupled with an assessment of the firm's experience, expertise and caliber of talent. Chambers noted the firm's "expert IP litigation practice."

"We've worked really hard to build a firm that would attract the best lawyers and clients, and we're so gratified to be listed by Chambers alongside other great law firms," said co-founding partner Michael Friedland. "We're proud to be in such good company."

For more information, visit the Chambers website here.

On May 14, 2026, Friedland Cianfrani LLP partner Nicole Townes will speak on a panel that will examine the evolution of the “failure-to-function” doctrine in trademark prosecution and litigation, focusing on how recent decisions are reshaping what can (and cannot) serve as a trademark.

Using the Federal Circuit’s 2025 decision in In re Brunetti and the district court rulings in Penn State v. Vintage Brand as anchors, the program will walk through recent precedents involving slogans, social messages, and Internet memes (including  In re Lizzo LLC and other commonplace-phrase cases), as well as litigated disputes where defendants have asserted failure-to-function as a defense to infringement cases (including Vintage Brand, as well as other recent decisions like Top Brand v. Cozy Comfort).

The session will emphasize practical takeaways for brand owners and in-house counsel: how examining attorneys are using marketplace evidence to support refusals; how failure-to-function interacts with related doctrines like ornamentation and genericness; and what prosecution,  clearance, and enforcement strategies can mitigate risk and build a  record to either avoid or overcome these refusals in a post-Brunetti  landscape. 

For more information, visit the AIPLA Spring Meeting website here.

April 2, 2026 - Friedland Cianfrani LLP partner Nicole Townes was recently quoted in the Law360 article, “Justice’s Cox Decision Fuels Debate Over DMCA’s Relevance.” The article explores the recent Supreme Court decision in Cox Communications, Inc.  v. Sony Music Entertainment, with the court shielding Cox from contributory copyright liability and sparking debate over the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbor provision. 

Townes told Law360 the Cox decision may play out differently depending on the type of service provider at issue, particularly where companies have more information about users than ISPs.

“I think rights owners are really going to have to think about going after the actual infringer,” she said. “This opinion certainly makes it hard to find an ISP liable.” 

Townes added that the ruling may force copyright owners to plead more specific facts showing encouragement of infringement or platform involvement, rather than relying on theories built around notices and inaction alone. She also noted that the court’s decision could compel rights holders to rely on business relationships with platforms to curb infringement outside the courtroom.

"It's definitely frustrating for rights owners because it can be a game of Whack-A-Mole, just going after these one-off infringers, but it seems like that's probably — at least certainly in the context of ISPs — going to be the best case," Townes said. 

Read the full article in Law360 here (subscription required). 

April 2, 2026 - Nicole Townes, partner with Friedland Cianfrani LLP, was recently quoted in the USA Today article, “Is Trump Profiting Off America’s 250th? Ethics Groups Question Merch.” 

The article looks at new merchandise listed on the Trump Store related to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July. There have been several trademark applications filed related to the 250th celebration, though they have not yet received approvals.

Townes told USA Today, it typically takes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which Trump oversees as president, between 18 and 24 months to approve marks. Most companies, Townes said, do sell items with their trademark before their application is approved.

Read the full article here. 

March 27, 2026 - Law360 quoted Michael Friedland in its article, "Injunction Constraints Impede Utility Patent Counterfeit Cases," published on March 27, 2026. A federal judge in Texas refused to freeze assets of alleged infringers in a so-called "Schedule A" case brought against multiple patent infringers. The practice of freezing assets has been commonly employed by plaintiffs in Schedule A cases in trademark cases. 

Friedland explained that orders freezing assets are more justifiable in trademark and copyright cases, which allow a plaintiff to seek monetary damages as part of equitable relief. A plaintiff in a utility patent case, however, cannot seek an equitable remedy that includes monetary damages.

Bloomberg Law, The Hollywood Reporter and LA Times quoted Michael Friedland in stories on the Supreme Court's decision in Cox v. Sony. The Supreme Court held that ISPs are only liable for copyright infringement if they intentionally induce or contribute to infringement, essentially adapting patent law precedent to copyright law.  

“The decision means that the Supreme Court isn’t coming to the entertainment industry’s rescue,” said attorney Michael K. Friedland. “The copyright infringement problem is a technological problem. The modern internet makes infringement really easy. The decision means that the industry is going to have to solve the problem itself — by developing its own better technology to protect its intellectual property.”

Joe Cianfrani, Michael Friedland, and Lauren Katzenellenbogen were named in the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers guide in the category of Intellectual Property Litigation.  It's the 15th time that Cianfrani was named to the list, the 19th time for Friedland, and the 14th time for Katzenellenbogen.

The firm is proud to announce that David Kim was appointed to the Merit Selection Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The members of the panel advise the judges of the Central District on the appointment and retention of U.S. Magistrate Judges. David previously served as a law clerk to the Hon. Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

On February 6, 2026, the Daily Journal featured Lauren Katzenellenbogen's move to the firm.

World Trademark Review named Lauren Katzenellenbogen to the 2026 edition of the WTR 1000: the World’s Leading Trademark Professionals guide for enforcement and litigation. The 2025 edition of the report wrote: “Lauren delivers sharp, concise and insightful legal opinions that empower her clients to make informed decisions. She provides excellent assessments on the risks of trademark litigation.”

On January 22, 2026, Michael Friedland spoke at the University of Utah SJ Quinney School of Law on "ITC, IP, and the Supreme Court" on a panel with Professors Jonas Anderson and Jorge Contreras.

Friedland Cianfrani welcomes senior litigator Lauren Katzenellenbogen as its newest Partner.

Katzenellenbogen joins the firm from national IP boutique Knobbe Martens, where she was a long-time litigation partner and chair of its Consumer Products Practice Group. 

“Lauren’s a superstar, and she adds tremendous depth to our firm. She’s a brilliant IP lawyer,” said partner Joe Cianfrani. “She’s been a first chair at trial, argued before the Federal Circuit, and managed every type of IP case. There are very few IP lawyers of her caliber and experience in the country, and we’re incredibly fortunate that she chose to join us.”

Katzenellenbogen said that she is excited for her role at her new firm. “I’m reuniting with lawyers I respect and worked with throughout my career. I love the firm’s drive and energy, and I’m excited for the chance to help build a firm that’s completely focused and growing.”

Her practice includes high-stakes patent cases and trademark enforcement, including counterfeiting claims. She has represented clients in federal courts nationwide, including as a first chair trial attorney, on appeal before the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeal, and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Clients have ranged from emerging startups to global brands, including Oakley, Monster Energy, Tesla, NASCAR, Bon-Ton Stores, Razor, Volcom, Mexicana Airlines, and I-Flow Corp.

Katzenellenbogen is a graduate of Harvard Law School. She received her degree in Civil Engineering from Duke University and is a registered patent attorney.

She is a former president of the Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association, the former chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Section and is the current Vice-Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Trademark Law Committee.

 Law360 quoted Nicole Townes in its article, "McConaughey Not 'Alright Alright Alright' With AI Fakes," published on January 15, 2026.  The article can be seen here.  

The ABA's publication, Law Practice Today, featured Friedland Cianfrani in its article, "Striking Out on Your Own: A Boutique Roundtable," published on October 3, 2025. Michael Friedland was asked, "What's the best thing about working in and running a small firm?" He answered, "[I]t's being able to do the work that you want to do, and to be really proud of it, without a lot of distractions that come with being part of a large firm. . . . It's the freedom to do the work the way you'd like to do it."

Best Lawyers recognized three Friedland Cianfrani lawyers in its 32nd edition released on August 21, 2025. Best Lawyers named David Kim in "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" in Litigation-Patent, Matt Pham in "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" in Intellectual Property, and Michael Friedland in "Best Lawyers in America" in Litigation-Intellectual Property.

The firm is proud to welcome Steven Friedland as a litigation associate. Steven is a third-generation litigator.  He joins the firm immediately after completing his clerkship with the Hon. Gary Klausner of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.

Steven broadens the firm's already strong technical background with his computer science degree, and he compliments the firm's already commanding IP litigation capability with his recent federal clerkship and his prior IP litigation experience.  

"We couldn't wait for Steven to get here. He has great technical expertise, great IP litigation experience, and the broad exposure to every aspect of litigation that you can only get from a federal district court clerkship," Joe Cianfrani said.

He added: "We've already doubled in size this year -- Steven is our third new attorney since January. Although we're growing quickly, we want to make sure that we grow smoothly. It's much easier to do when we're hiring great lawyers that we already know."

Steven received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 2021, where he served as Executive Editor of the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan in 2018.

Prior to his clerkship, Steven was a litigation associate with Knobbe Martens in its Irvine, California office.

Michael Friedland presented at the Orange County Bar Association's Deposition Workshop on Advanced Deposition Topics on August 6, 2025 with Ryan Fawaz of Katten Muchin. The panel focused on taking and defending expert depositions.

On July 23, 2025, Law360 published Michael Friedland's article, Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion.

"With a few decades of litigation practice, I've learned something that I missed in law school, and that many other law students likely miss as well: My job is rarely to argue.

"Arguing often makes adversaries defensive. It often challenges them to dig in — or become more aggressive in their positions. As a lawyer, my job is to convince an adversary to give my client what they want. That is, to persuade."

On June 30, 2025, Michael Friedland was quoted by Packaging Digest in its article, "Mondelez Sues Aldi for Copycat Packaging in Landmark Case."  Mondelez recently sued discount grocer Aldi alleging infringement of Mondelez' packaging for products such as Oreos and Chips Ahoy! 

“'If Mondelez continue[s] to tolerate private label makers mimicking their packaging, Mondelez will lose any argument that the packaging design has enforceable trade dress rights,' [Friedland] says, noting that trademark law requires brand owners to “police” the marketplace for companies that infringe on their trade dress. 'If the brands allow third parties to make widespread use of the copied packaging, the trade dress rights evaporate. And the longer a brand waits to enforce its rights, the weaker those rights become.'” 

On June 13, 2025, the Daily Journal featured Matt Pham's move to the firm. "Pham brings a dual background in engineering and law to his practice."  His engineering experience "sparked his interest in intellectual property."

On June 17, 2025, Law360 quoted David Kim and Michael Friedland in its article, "School's Out: Summer Reading Picks for IP Attorneys."

Kim recommended "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin. The book, "explores contrasting societal views on ownership and intellectual property, prompting critical examination of traditional IP incentives and the ethical implications of controlling knowledge," Kim said.

Friedland recommended "The Caine Mutiny" by Herman Wouk. "The book is the classic tale of the crew of a Navy ship attempting to manage an egotistical, erratic, insecure and largely incompetent captain," Friedland said. "Most large firm associates will identify with the crew — and will recognize the personality type of the captain."

The article can be viewed here.

On June 16, 2025, the Orange County Register noted IP litigator Matt Pham's move to the firm.