MBV Law and Keller & Heckman LLP Host Food & Beverage M&A Due Diligence Presentation in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 25, 2011 - Mackrell International law firm members MBV Law and Keller & Heckman LLP hosted a presentation on ‘Hot Topics and Emerging Trends: Food & Beverage M&A Due Diligence Issues and Food Safety, Labeling and Advertising Compliance’ at the San Francisco City Club. Attendees included legal representatives from Safeway Inc., North America’s second largest supermarket chain and Del Monte Foods, one of America’s largest producers, distributors and marketers of branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market.
“It was a great pleasure working with MBV and there are clearly strong synergies in our practice areas that make ongoing collaboration useful for both firms,” said Leslie Krasny, Keller and Heckman San Francisco partner. Ms. Krasny presented on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), safety requirements, labeling and advertising requirements, and claim substantiation. David Ettinger, a partner from Keller’s DC office, spoke on product protection in food packaging materials. Eric Lindstrom, SF counsel, presented on Proposition 65 issues. MBV partners Laura Howard and Greg Beattie presented on the M&A due diligence process and disclosure principles, problems that could jeopardize the sale, and indemnity claims and remediation for undisclosed problems.
“MBV has had an overwhelmingly positive experience working with Mackrell firms,” said Laura Howard. In April, MBV hosted ‘Doing Business in China’ with a firm from China that was introduced through Mackrell. In May, MBV hosted an International Trademark Association (INTA) reception for guests from 39 countries including representatives from ten Mackrell firms including Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Poland, Japan, Chile, Malaysia, and China.
MBV Law is a results-oriented law firm which has served as trusted business and litigation counsel to companies and entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years. Keller and Heckman LLP, founded in 1962, has a broad practice in the areas of regulatory law, litigation, and business transactions, serving both domestic and international clients.
Mackrell International is one of the world’s premier networks of independent legal firms. With member firms in 50 countries, Mackrell International gives clients access to 4,000 lawyers worldwide providing a seamless legal service.
MBV Lawyers Greg Beattie and Eli Gould Recognized As Northern California Super Lawyers
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, July 19, 2011 — MBV Law LLP congratulates Greg Beattie and Eli Gould, who have been recognized as 2011 Northern California Super Lawyers. The annual list by Super Lawyers selects those determined to be the top five percent of the total lawyers in the state based upon nomination, peer review, and Super Lawyer’s independent research.
Greg Beattie’s practice focuses on corporate and technology law, emphasizing private company representation, mergers, acquisitions and strategic joint ventures, raising capital, technology and trademark licensing, protection and transfers, investor representation, and securities and commercial law. He represents a broad spectrum of hardware, software and internet based companies, food and beverage companies including several wineries, cleantech/greentech companies, investment firms and a variety of other distribution, retail, service and manufacturing concerns. Greg’s previous experience includes Reed Smith, where he served as firmwide Chair of the Technology and Venture Group (2003-2005), Crosby Heafey Roach & May (combined with Reed Smith in 2003), Bay Venture Counsel, LLP (combined with Crosby in 2002) and Cooley Godward. He served as law clerk to California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk (1980), and General Counsel and Secretary of UB Networks, Inc., a pioneering data networking company (1986-1989). Greg is a founder of the Bay Area Food and Beverage Investor Fair.
Eli Gould provides a full range of legal services on employment and labor issues confronting employers and managers including advice and counsel on all aspects of the employment relationship, preventative training on legal pitfalls confronting employers in California, advice and drafting expertise on employee compensation plans, advice on wage and hour and employee classification issues, counsel on reductions-in-force, assistance on employment issues related to mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions, representation in union-management negotiations and relationships, and representation in all aspects of employment-related litigation. Before joining MBV Law, Eli was the senior employment attorney for the Silicon Valley office of Bingham McCutchen where he represented many emerging technology clients on all aspects of employment and equity compensation, as well as a number of larger, more established companies, including Stanford University, Sun Microsystems, Veritas Software and Applied Biosystems. Eli continues to represent small, medium and large multi-national employers at MBV Law. Eli was also recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2009 and 2010.
The 2011 Northern California Super Lawyers are featured in the August issue of San Francisco Magazine.
MBV Law LLP provides strategic legal advice and transactional services to new ventures, middle market companies, selected public companies, and professional services firms. MBV also represents a diverse client base in complex commercial litigation matters throughout the State of California. The firm, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, is comprised of senior attorneys with broad legal and business experience who provide high quality, personalized legal services and strategic advice to every MBV client. For more information on MBV Law, please visit www.mbvlaw.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 13, 2010 - On Friday, October 8, MBV Law obtained a defense verdict in favor of one of its clients in a case in which an employee of the client sought indemnification from it under the California Labor Code for over $900,000 in attorney’s fees and costs the employee had incurred in litigation with his prior employer. The employee also sought to recover his attorney’s fees and costs in the litigation against the client in an amount equal to or greater than his fees and costs in the underlying litigation. MBV Law was able to convince the jury in San Francisco Superior Court that the lawsuit between the employee and his prior employer involved alleged conduct by the employee that occurred prior to his employment with our client and that therefore the employee’s litigation costs and fees did not arise out of the course and scope of his employment with the client, even though he was employed by our client when the lawsuit was filed and for much of the litigation. An employer’s obligation to indemnify its employees for costs and losses they incur while performing services for the employer, including attorney’s fees and costs incurred in litigation brought by a third party against the employee, is very broad under California law. Convincing the jury that the employee’s fee and costs did not arise out of his employment with our client was a significant victory for the client. MBV Law employment attorney Eli Gould represented the client throughout the underlying litigation and the indemnification lawsuit and was joined at trial by Mark White, of Chapman, Popik & White.
MBV Law’s Expanding IP Practice Adds Yano Rubinstein
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 7, 2010 – MBV Law LLP is pleased to announce that Yano Rubinstein has joined the firm’s growing intellectual property practice as a partner. He will be resident in MBV’s San Francisco office.
Mr. Rubinstein specializes in complex patent, trademark, and copyright matters. He has handled complex IP-related matters for clients ranging from local to international in scope in numerous industries including technology, art and culture, entertainment, publishing, wineries, retail, entertainment venues and sports.
Don Buder, Managing Partner for MBV, commented, “We’ve been making substantial strides in building a strong IP litigation practice in our San Francisco office. With the addition of Yano, we’re well on our way towards establishing an IP practice with excellent lawyers who have a wide range of IP litigation capabilities.”
Mr. Rubinstein received his B.A. from the University of California at San Diego and his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law. Before joining MBV, he led Hinshaw & Culbertson’s California intellectual property practice where he counseled clients in complex IP-related matters including intellectual property acquisitions and procurements, licensing, clearance and royalty provisions; and managing global intellectual property portfolios. He has extensive experience in cancellation and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, domain name disputes under the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy, and right of publicity and unfair competition claims. Mr. Rubinstein is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the International Trademark Association.
“MBV is an outstanding and progressive firm with innovative and talented lawyers,” Mr. Rubinstein said. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with my new colleagues in the San Francisco office and the firm’s IP litigators.”
Associate Phillip Seltzer is joining Mr. Rubinstein. Mr. Seltzer’s practice focuses on trademark, copyright and unfair competition litigation, commercial litigation, and intellectual property transactional work. He received his law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law where he was a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship, and is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.
MBV Lawyers Eli Gould and Micah Jacobs Recognized As Northern California Super Lawyers
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, July 29, 2010 — MBV LLP congratulates lawyers Eli Gould and Micah Jacobs, who have been recognized as 2010 Northern California Super Lawyers in the annual list of the top 5% of lawyers in Northern California. Super Lawyers identifies this select group based upon a peer review process and the publication’s own independent research.
Eli Gould provides a full range of legal services on employment and labor issues confronting employers and managers including advice and counsel on all aspects of the employment relationship, preventative training on legal pitfalls confronting employers in California, advice and drafting expertise on employee compensation plans, advice on wage and hour and employee classification issues, counsel on reductions-in-force, assistance on employment issues related to mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions, representation in union-management negotiations and relationships, and representation in all aspects of employment-related litigation. Before joining MBV Law, Eli was the senior employment attorney for the Silicon Valley office of Bingham McCutchen where he represented many emerging technology clients on all aspects of employment and equity compensation, as well as a number of larger, more established companies, including Stanford University, Sun Microsystems, Veritas Software and Applied Biosystems. Eli continues to represent small, medium and large multi-national employers at MBV Law. Eli was also named as a 2009 Northern California Super Lawyer.
Micah Jacobs specializes in litigating complex business and intellectual property disputes. He has 16 years experience representing leading technology and internet-related companies and the cutting edge legal issues they confront, and has worked at some of the country’s leading law firms including Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Cooley Godward Kronish and Bingham McCutchen, before joining MBV. An accomplished trial lawyer, Micah has won many unanimous jury verdicts and helped clients resolve critical legal problems. In 2009, Micah was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the 75 Leading IP Litigators in California in its annual survey of the top lawyers in California, and he was also recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2005 and 2006. His expertise includes international and cross-border litigation and resolving complex business disputes, patent, copyright and trademark infringement claims, trade secret disputes, unfair competition and false advertising claims.
The 2010 Northern California Super Lawyers are featured in the August issue of San Francisco Magazine.
MBV Law LLP provides strategic legal advice and transactional services to new ventures, middle market companies, selected public companies, and professional services firms. MBV also represents a diverse client base in complex commercial litigation matters throughout the State of California. The firm is comprised of senior attorneys with broad legal and business experience who provide high quality, personalized legal services to every MBV client. For more information on MBV Law, please visit www.mbvlaw.com.
MBV Law Wins Preliminary Injunction in High Stakes False Advertising Case on Behalf of Software Company Maximum Availability
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 4, 2010 – A United States District Court in the Central District of California issued a mandatory preliminary injunction on behalf of software maker Maximum Availability against its primary competitor, Vision Solutions, Inc., which dominates the market for high availability disaster recovery software. Maximum Availability, a New Zealand-based software company, sought the injunction to stop Vision from disseminating allegedly false comparative marketing materials. Federal Judge George Wu found that Vision’s marketing materials contained literally false statements about Plaintiff, including the false claim that Maximum Availability lacked 24/7 global customer support and that over 80 customers of Maximum Availability had switched over to Vision. The court’s order prohibited Vision from further use of those marketing materials in competition with Maximum Availability and also ordered Vision to send a notice to its sales staff, its third party resellers and anyone else who received the advertisements informing them to cease their use of such false comparative marketing materials.
The case is scheduled for trial on March 1, 2011. Maximum Availability is represented by Micah Jacobs, a member of MBV Law in San Francisco.
