Willmore F. Holbrow | Partner

Office: Los Angeles
Phone: 310-207-3800
Fax: 310-820-5988
bill_holbrow@bstz.com

Bill Holbrow is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group. Since leaving the Air Force JAG department and joining the firm in 1997, his practice has consisted primarily of intellectual property litigation including without limitation patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret litigation. Other practice areas include prosecuting trademark applications and providing strategic counseling on a wide array of business and licensing issues.
 
Over the years, Bill has successfully represented clients’ interests in a wide-array of intellectual property matters. Examples include:
 
• Represented a fastener manufacturing company in a trade dress infringement action. Result: Court granted the Firm’s motion for summary judgment.
Allfast Fastening Systems v. Briles Rivet Corp., et al., 16 F.Supp.2d 1154 (C.D. Cal. 1998)
 
• Represented defendant publisher in a trademark infringement action involving the name of its yellow page publication. Result: Court granted the Firm’s motion for summary judgment. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision. 
Filipino Yellow Pages, Inc. v. Asian Journal Publications, Inc., 198 F.3d 1143 (9th Cir. 1999)
 
•Represented a kayak manufacturer in a patent infringement action relating to the sale of multiple-person kayaks. The patents-in-suit focused on various internal structural components of the kayaks.   Result: After obtaining an extremely favorable ruling from the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the trial court granted the Firm’s motion for summary judgment.
Old Town Canoe Co. v. Glenwa, Inc., 55 Fed. Appx. 918 (Fed. Cir. 2003)
 
• Represented defendant, a major toy company, in a patent infringement action involving the sale of rubber balls. The patents focused on the gelatinous composition of the balls and their unusual structural design. Result: The Court granted the Firm’s motion for summary judgment.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc., et al. v. Imperial Toy Corp., et al., United States District Court, Central District of California, Western Division, CV 05-3228-SVW (2005).
 
• Represented plaintiff, a medical device company, in a trademark and unfair competition action. The defendant was a former distributor who had developed a competing device and sold it under a similar trademark. Result: Following two-week trial, the jury ruled in client’s favor. The client was awarded over $5 million in damages and its attorneys’ fees.
Electronic Waveform Lab., Inc. v. RJS Industries, Inc., et al., United States District Court, Central District of California, Western Division, CV 00-9220-JSL (2005).
 
• Represented clothing company in opposition proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board involving the attempted registration of a similar mark. Result: After the completion of the trial period, the Board sustained the client’s opposition.
Michael Stars, Inc. v. Michael Starr, Opposition No. 91164989 (2008) Before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board,