NEWS AND EVENTS

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

The firm is proud to welcome Matt Pham as a litigation associate. Matt brings his outstanding background as both an experienced intellectual property litigator and material sciences engineer. “Matt’s exactly the type of lawyer we want as our patent litigation practice continues to expand,” Michael Friedland said.  

Matt graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2021, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Illinois Business Law Journal. He received his B.A.S.c. with Honors in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2018. Before law school, Matt worked as an engineer for Mondelez International. Prior to joining the firm, Matt was a litigation associate with Knobbe Martens. For more details, visit here.

On June 9, 2025, David Kim was elected to the board of directors of the Orange County Korean American Bar Association.

Michael Friedland will present at the Orange County Bar Association's Deposition Workshop on Advanced Deposition Topics on August 6, 2025 with Ryan Fawaz of Katten Muchin. To register, visit here. 

The firm was proud to sponsor the Harvard Law School Alumni Breakfast at the International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Michael Friedland moderated a panel for the Harvard Law School Association on May 15 on the topic, "Career Transitions: Litigation to Mediation." The panel featured expert private mediators Jeff Kichaven and Richard M. Segal.

Michael Friedland spoke to the DRA annual convention on May 3 in Ventura on "AI and the Legal Industry: What's Changed, What's Changing, and What's Next."  The speech addressed the history and technical background of AI, the impact of the rapidly changing technology on the legal profession, quality concerns, and significant ethical implications.

Michael Friedland spoke at the LA Intellectual Property Law Association's Spring Seminar on May 2 in Laguna Beach, California as panelist on the topic, "Nice to Meet You, Your Honor: Approaching IP Cases When Appearing Before a New (or New to You) Judge."  The panel provided practical advice and behind-the-bench insight from judges and practitioners about appearing in all types of IP cases before new district and magistrate judges. It discussed best practices in patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret cases, with a focus on the likelihood of assignment to a new judge based on recent court changes (e.g., many new members of the bench, end of the patent program, and adoption of magistrate judge opt-out process). The panel featured the Hon. David O. Carter, the Hon. Fred W. Slaughter, and the Hon. Patricia A. Donahue, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and Nancy Olson of Olson Stein LLP.

Law.com quoted Michael Friedland in its April 16, 2025 article, "Demand for IP Work is Robust, but Rate Pressure Prompts Some to Flee Big Law." The article reported, "Friedland, who chaired the litigation practice at Knobbe Martens, said his move to form a new firm stemmed more from the camaraderie absent from Big Law that's more accessible within smaller, more intimate boutiques. ... 'We were just excited about the idea of being able to build a firm that was exactly the way we thought firms should be.'"

On April 10, 2025, Chambers and Partners named Friedland Cianfrani in its Spotlight Guide. Chambers stated, "Friedland Cianfrani LLP is highlighted for its expert IP litigation practice.  . . . The team expertly handles cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts."    

Per Chambers, "Spotlight specifically champions outstanding boutique and mid-size firms that deliver partner-level attention, deep regional knowledge, and cost-effective solutions for sophisticated legal work . . . firms that punch above their weight."

Nicole Townes spoke as part of a panel to the Orange County Intellectual Property Law Association on April 16 on the topic, "Building and Protecting a Strong Brand Identity." The panel also featured Sui Q. Duong of Pure Storage, Inc., Eunice Yu Moller of Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., and Cheryl Withycombe of AbbVie Inc.

IP360 quoted Nicole Townes in its March 31 article, "Duke's 'White Lotus' Cameo Not Likely an IP Problem for HBO." The article addressed Duke's public criticism of the HBO show's use of Duke's trademark in a disturbing scene. Townes explained the obstacles that Duke would face if it were to bring a trademark claim under the Rogers test. The test considers, among other things, whether a creative work's use of a trademark is artistically relevant to the plot. "HBO would be able to pass pretty easily that showing of artistic relevance, given that it's so integral to the development of that particular character and his family," Nicole Rossi Townes of Friedland Cianfrani LLP told Law360.

On March 10, 2025, the Los Angeles Daily Journal profiled the firm in its March 10 article, "Better Together: Intellectual property litigators at Friedland Cianfrani say personal connection still matters." As quoted by the Daily Journal: "A lot of learning and collaboration and great ideas come when people are together, and I found when everyone during COVID was on Zoom, it didn't work quite as well," Cianfrani said. "I learned so much just in the hallways of our prior law firm, and we decided being in the office together is the way to get our best ideas and to have best collaboration among the team, and we were both pretty resolute on that one issue."

On March 6, 2025, the National Law Journal quoted Joe Cianfrani in its article, "Will the Federal Circuit's One-Word Affirmances Get Supreme Court Scrutiny?" The article covered a panel on which Cianfrani spoke debating whether the Federal Circuit's frequent reliance on one-word affirmances under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 36 was lawful. Cianfrani defended the Federal Circuit's practice. As quoted by the National Law Journal: "We live in a world of limited resources," Cianfrani said. "Wouldn't everyone love to have a 60-page opinion in every single case? Yes, or course we would. We know that we can't have that, and the courts have to make some trade offs."

Thompson Reuters has named Michael Friedland a "Super Lawyer" in the field of Intellectual Property Litigation.  It's the 18th time he has received that honor.

Joe Cianfrani spoke at a webinar on "The Federal Circuit's Reliance on One-Word Affirmances Under Rule 36: Is it Lawful?" The webinar also featured Robert J. Rando of Greenspan Marder LLP and Amit R. Vora of Kasowitz Benson Torres. To view the webinar, visit here.