About the Authors
IRA G. BIBBERO is an associate with Browne George Ross LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Bibbero earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. He served as an appellate court attorney for Justice Norman Epstein of the California Court of Appeal. Mr. Bibbero is experienced in business litigation, Indian law, and appellate practice. He is one of the authors of chapter 3 (Unfair Competition).
HON. ROBERT B. BROADBELT is a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles County. Prior to his 2012 appointment to the court by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., he was a partner in Browne Woods & George LLP for 24 years, and then of counsel to Leader Counsel LLP, in Los Angeles. Judge Broadbelt earned a B.A. degree in 1981 from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree in 1984 from the University of Southern California Law School. As a practicing attorney he specialized in complex business litigation, including internet law, unfair competition, trade secrets, noncompete agreements, interference with business relations, defamation, and First Amendment and other constitutional issues. He also represented the California State Senate and individual State Senators in redistricting, voting rights, and other litigation.
ALLAN BROWNE is a senior partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Browne earned a B.A. degree in 1960 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an LL.B. degree in 1963 from the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the Board of Editors and Editor in Chief of the Southern California Law Review. He was the founder and first President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and a past member of the Board of Governors of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He has also served as a Judge Pro Tem of the Beverly Hills Municipal Court and as an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Mr. Browne was the planner, editor, and contributing author of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. His practice specialties are complex business litigation, unfair competitive business practices, insurance bad faith, and legal malpractice. He has written extensively on a wide range of litigation and business law topics.
GREGORY L. DOLL is an associate with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Doll earned a B.A. degree in 1993 from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a J.D. degree in 1997 from the University of Southern California, where he was Editor of the Southern California Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. During law school, Mr. Doll served as a judicial extern for the Hon. Robert M. Takasugi in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He has litigated numerous cases involving intellectual property, unfair competition, tort, contract, environmental, entertainment, civil liberties, and constitutional issues.
DONNA L. DUTCHER is an associate with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Dutcher earned a B.S. degree in 1993 from Pittsburg State University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and a J.D. degree in 1999 from Harvard Law School, where she was an Editor, Deputy Editor in Chief, and Editor in Chief of the Harvard Negotiation Law Review.
N. KEMBA EXTAVOUR is an associate with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Extavour earned a B.A. degree from Stanford University in 1993 and a J.D. degree in 1996 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Her specialty is business litigation.
MILES J. FELDMAN is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Feldman earned a B.A. with honors and distinction from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1989, and a J.D. degree in 1994 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board and an Editor of the Berkeley Technology Law Journal. Mr. Feldman also served as a judicial extern for the Hon. D. Lowell Jensen in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He dedicates his practice to litigating business, entertainment, and intellectual property disputes. Mr. Feldman frequently lectures and contributes to legal journals and books on copyrights, rights of publicity, trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements, unfair competition, California’s Talent Agency Act, and the litigation of entertainment industry transactions. He was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation.
ROBERT D. FISH, principal and founding partner of Fish & Associates, PC, Irvine, specializes in patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, trademark filings, and patent enforcement, including licensing and arbitration. Mr. Fish received his B.A. degree in 1974 from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. degree, cum laude, in 1990 from the California Western School of Law. He oversees numerous active patent and trademark matters, including extensive foreign filings. He has litigated in state and federal courts throughout the United States, has overseen cases in several European countries, and has successfully appealed before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the Federal Circuit Bar Association, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Orange County Technology Alliance. Mr. Fish is the author of several books, including Cost Effective Patenting (2004), Strategic Patenting (2007), White Space Patenting (2011), and Green Fields Patenting (2011).
ERIC M. GEORGE is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. George earned an A.B. degree with honors in 1990 from Georgetown University and a J.D. degree with honors in 1993 from Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a law clerk for the Hon. D. Lowell Jensen in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and as Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to California Governor Pete Wilson. From 1999 to 2000, Mr. George also served as Counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.
SYLVIA P. LARDIERE is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Lardiere earned a B.A. degree in 1979 from the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated summa cum laude, and a J.D. degree in 1982 from the University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in business and employment-related litigation.
MELODIE K. LARSEN is a partner with the firm Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Larsen earned a B.A. degree in 1978 from California State University at Los Angeles and a J.D. degree in 1983 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she was an Associate Editor of the Industrial Relations Law Journal. She also served as a judicial extern for the Hon. Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has been an update author of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. Ms. Larsen is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Women in Cable and Communications, and Women Lawyers of Los Angeles. She has a broad litigation and employment practice, and has litigated disputes involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour, copyright, trademark, idea submission, unfair competition, cable television, and other general business disputes. Ms. Larsen was one of the attorneys successfully representing Quality King Distributors, Inc. in the action leading to the Supreme Court decision entitled Quality King Distribs., Inc. v L’Anza Research Int’l, Inc. (1998) 523 US 135, 118 S Ct 1125, which clarified the application of the copyright first sale doctrine to products sold for export.
SONIA Y. LEE is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Lee earned a B.A. degree in 1992 from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree in 1997 from Loyola Marymount University, where she was a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society and Articles Editor of the Loyola Law Review. Her specialty is civil litigation.
MICHAEL J. OLECKI is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Olecki earned a B.A. degree in 1981 from Haverford College and a J.D. degree in 1986 from the University of Virginia, where he was Notes Editor for the University of Virginia Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. He served as a law clerk for the Hon. Edward N. Cahn in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Olecki is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and an arbitrator listed with the Los Angeles Superior Court Arbitration Panel. He is a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. He has lectured on the use of mock juries in preparing for trial; the California summary judgment statute; preparing witnesses for videotaped depositions; insurer recoupment of monetary contributions from additional policy sources; and on an insurer’s obligation to defend all causes of action brought against the insured. He has a highly successful litigation practice, with experience in a wide range of areas, including trademark and trade secret disputes.
LAURENCE H. PRETTY is a partner with the firm Hogan & Hartson in Los Angeles. He earned a B.S. degree in Engineering with honors in 1958 from London University and a J.D. degree with honors in 1968 from George Washington University, where he graduated Order of the Coif. Following graduation, he was a law clerk for the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. He has served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California and as a Council member of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the American Bar Association. Mr. Pretty was also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and has served as President of both the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. He is an Adjunct Lecturer in patent and trademark law at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. Mr. Pretty has written extensively for a variety of publications about patent litigation issues. He is the editor and coauthor of the book Patent Litigation, published by the Practising Law Institute, and for over 10 years, served as Chair of the Practising Law Institute’s program on “Patent Litigation.” He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
MARCY RAILSBACK is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Ms. Railsback earned a B.A. degree with high honors in 1974 from San Diego State University, where she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and a J.D. degree in 1978 from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, where she was a member of the Thurston Society, Associate Research Editor of the Hastings Law Journal, and graduated Order of the Coif. Ms. Railsback is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. She primarily practices in the areas of business and real estate litigation, unfair competition, and defamation.
WILLIAM T. RINTALA is a partner with the firm Rintala, Smoot, Jaenicke & Rees in Los Angeles. Mr. Rintala earned a B.A. degree in 1961 from Stanford University and a J.D. degree in 1967 from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he was Executive Director of the California Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. Following law school, he was law clerk for the Hon. Murray Draper, First Appellate District, Division 3 of the California Court of Appeal. Mr. Rintala has served as a member of the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Amicus Brief Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He is also a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and formerly served as a member of the Board of Directors of Public Counsel. Mr. Rintala was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. He also authored chapters in the second and third editions of California Civil Appellate Practice (3d ed Cal CEB 1996). He has lectured on copyright issues for both CEB and the Practising Law Institute. He has handled copyright, trademark, and unfair competition cases for Warner Bros., Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, CBS, William Morris Agency, and Host Marriott Corporation and was co-counsel for the heirs of Margaret Mitchell in a successful suit to establish ownership of the motion picture sequel rights to “Gone With the Wind.” He has also litigated a wide range of business disputes, including trade secrets, franchise issues, Uniform Commercial Code, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and talent agency disputes.
PETER W. ROSS is a partner with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Ross earned a B.A. degree in 1980 from Carleton College, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. degree in 1983 from Stanford Law School. He was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation, and has lectured on a variety of subjects involving competitive business practices at programs presented by CEB, CJER, and others. Mr. Ross regularly litigates in both state and federal court. His practice covers the spectrum of business litigation, ranging from theft of trade secrets, unfair business practices, intellectual property problems, partnership disputes, advertising and First Amendment issues, professional malpractice and employment issues to environmental problems.
CARL ALAN ROTH is an associate with Brown George Ross LLP in Los Angeles. He is one of the authors of chapter 6 (Trademarks). Mr. Roth earned his A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1986 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1990. His practice involves a wide range of large-scale and complex sports, media, banking, insurance, intellectual property, and securities disputes, and he has litigated in state and federal appellate and trial courts.
NICK J. G. SANCHEZ is an associate with the firm Browne Woods & George LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Sanchez earned his B.A. degree in 1995 from Yale University, where he played quarterback for the Bulldogs’ varsity football team. He obtained his J.D. degree in 2000 from the University of Southern California, where he co-founded “Project Peers,” a nonprofit organization providing college preparatory training for economically disadvantaged high school students. During law school, Mr. Sanchez also served as a law clerk in the California Governor’s Office, Legal Affairs Unit. His areas of specialty are civil litigation, government, and legislative practice.
BENJAMIN D. SCHEIBE is a founding member and partner of the firm Browne George Ross LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Scheibe was awarded a B.A. degree in 1978 from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, and a J.D. degree in 1981 from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif and was a member of the UCLA Law Review. He has served as both the Chair and Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Intellectual Property, Tort and Insurance Practice Section. He is also an active participant in the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and the California State Bar’s Committee on Trade Secrets. Mr. Scheibe was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. He has written extensively on various business litigation-related issues, including trade secrets, insurance coverage for business disputes, and the First Amendment. He is a business litigator and trial attorney who concentrates his practice in the areas of business disputes, trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, intellectual property rights, elections law, and First Amendment issues.
JOHN A. STURGEON is a partner with the firm White & Case in Los Angeles. Mr. Sturgeon earned an A.B. degree with honors in 1957 from Stanford University and a J.D. degree in 1962 from Stanford Law School. Mr. Sturgeon was a cofounder of the 1,000-member Association of Business Trial Lawyers and has served on its Board of Governors. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the Los Angeles County Superior Court Arbitration Panel. In 1995, he was selected as one of the 100 most prominent Los Angeles business lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Mr. Sturgeon was a coauthor of Competitive Business Practices (2d ed Cal CEB 1991), the predecessor of California Business Litigation. He has represented several banks, including Bank of America, Northern Trust Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank, in major lender liability cases and in cases involving general banking issues. His practice also includes trade secret and unfair competition cases, defense of securities class actions, real property disputes, trust and probate litigation, business torts, and disputes among partners and shareholders. Active in public issues, Mr. Sturgeon represented 70 California cities challenging the constitutionality of the Legislature’s allocation of property tax revenue. He also represented the California Republican Party in reapportionment litigation before the California Supreme Court. He has handled over 40 appellate proceedings before the California Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the California Supreme Court.
KEITH WESLEY is a partner with Browne George Ross LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Wesley earned an undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University and a J.D. degree with high honors from George Washington University Law School. Prior to joining Browne George Ross, Mr. Wesley served as an extern for the Honorable Patricia Hemann, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, and as a law clerk for the Honorable Ferdinand F. Fernandez, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His practice encompasses all facets of business litigation, and he has particular expertise in the areas of trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secrets, false advertising, unfair competition, insurance, and class actions. He is the author of chapter 10 (Right of Publicity).
About the 2023 Update Authors
ROBERT D. FISH is the update author of chapter 8 (Patents). He is the founder of Fish IP Law, Irvine and Redwood City. See his biography in the About the Authors section of this book.
ADAM R. FOX is the update author of chapter 3 (Unfair Competition), and chapter 11 (Business-Related Torts). A partner with Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Los Angeles, Mr. Fox is an experienced trial lawyer, trailblazer, and community leader whom the Los Angeles Business Journal named in 2020 to its list of the most influential leaders and executives in Los Angeles—the LA 500. The Los Angeles Business Journal previously honored him as a finalist for its prestigious Litigation Attorney of the Year award. Mr. Fox regularly handles high-stakes controversies across a wide range of subject matters, including some of the nation’s most high-profile class action and competitor suits in the food industry. His experience also encompasses other complex business litigation, including data privacy class actions, business controversies in the cannabis industry, cross-border commercial disputes, and mass torts involving alleged environmental contamination and exposure. He has also authored several law review articles and contributed chapters to The Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business, and has lectured, presented papers, or served on speaking panels at the University of Colorado Law School, George Mason University School of Law, Rutgers University School of Law, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has presented at conferences sponsored by the American Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute, and is a graduate of the Riordan Volunteer Leadership Development Program. He received his B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1993 and his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1996.
STEPHEN C. STEINBERG is the update author of chapter 6 (Trademarks). Mr. Steinberg is a Principal of Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller, P.C., in San Francisco. Mr. Steinberg is an intellectual property (IP), privacy, and business trial lawyer whose practice focuses on claims for patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, theft of trade secrets, privacy claims, and other complex business disputes in both federal and state courts. He has served as lead counsel in several cases, and has represented clients in numerous trials, where he has won cases for both plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Steinberg has litigated patent cases concerning mobile phone accessories, web browsers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), networking technologies such as Power-over-Ethernet and WiFi, and power conversion technologies. He has handled trademark and copyright cases for video game, e-commerce, consumer product, and specialty food companies. Mr. Steinberg has also represented technology companies in prosecuting and defending against claims for theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duties, interference, and related claims, as well as cases for breach of contract against suppliers, and disputes arising out of mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Mr. Steinberg has defended multiple healthcare systems in class action privacy litigation, including claims involving PHI under HIPAA, “medical information” under CMIA, as well as the statutory, common law, and constitutional claims based on the use of analytics, pixels, and cookies on websites. Mr. Steinberg received his A.B. (Religion) from Princeton University in 2001 and his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco in 2003, where he graduated magna cum laude.
