Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has successfully secured a victory in a trademark infringement case. A Texas federal judge ruled in favor of the law firm, establishing that the firm’s trademarked name was intentionally used without authorization by opposing counsel and litigants stemming from a rental dispute. The defendants had, notably, filed an LLP registration replicating the law firm’s name.
In the decision, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison granted summary judgment in favor of Lewis Brisbois on claims of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and conspiracy to infringe against Michael Joseph Bitgood, Susan Norman, and Bradley Beers. Judge Ellison determined that “no genuine dispute of material fact” existed and that the firm had satisfied the Lanham Act’s criteria for its first two claims. The court issued a permanent injunction, preventing further use of the infringing name.
The full opinion was made available by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
This ruling underscores the judiciary’s readiness to protect established trademarks from willful infringement, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of brand identity in the legal industry.