Orrick Lawyers Named “California Lawyers of the Year”

February.17.2012

California Lawyer magazine has named the litigation team that successfully represented MGA Entertainment in its long-running battle over the Bratz doll line against Mattel as its “California Lawyers of the Year.” The team includes intellectual property partners Annette Hurst and Denise Mingrone, white collar and corporate investigations partner Thomas McConville, and commercial litigation partner Bill Molinski as well as co-counsel Jennifer Keller and Allison Shalinsky of Keller Rackauckas.

After an Orrick appellate team successfully overturned a $100 million verdict against MGA in the Ninth Circuit, this team of lawyers persuaded a federal jury to reject Mattel’s copyright infringement and trade secrets claim against MGA, and then convinced jurors that Mattel engaged in corporate espionage against MGA. With punitive damages and legal fees, the total award was nearly $310 million.

The MGA team has received numerous accolades for the “stunning victory.” In addition to the CLAY award, the Daily Journal also recognized the team by naming the MGA victory its top defense win of 2011, and Corporate Counsel magazine named the case as its seventh biggest win in Intellectual Property litigation in 2011.

Related Lawyers

Annette Hurst Partner, Intellectual Property, Trademark, Copyright & Media

San Francisco

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D:+1 415 773 4585
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Intellectual Property
Trademark, Copyright & Media
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

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Annette Hurst Partner

San Francisco

Annette is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried copyright, trade secret, trademark, patent and business tort claims. As a risk analyst and problem solver with deep proficiency in the software industry, Annette is a go-to counselor and speaker regarding the legal issues surrounding access and use of datasets in the development of machine learning algorithms. She was named “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer for her work as co-lead counsel on the Mattel/MGA case. Chambers USA ranks her in Band 1 for Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets, with clients reporting that she is “smart, creative and terrific at oral argument” and “a very well-known authority in copyright law, a great advocate and a great trial lawyer.” Chambers reports: “Clients agree that Annette Hurst is ‘a very powerful and experienced trial lawyer for copyright cases, and a good team leader who is reliable before judges,” and “Peers consider Annette Hurst a ‘remarkably intuitive’ lawyer who ‘brings unique perspectives to soft IP cases.” Since 2018, The Legal 500 has recognized Annette as a “Leading Lawyer” in copyright law, and she was named “Female Litigator of the Year West” by Benchmark Litigation in 2013. Annette has been repeatedly named one of the top 75 IP litigators in California by The Daily Journal.

Annette’s community and professional activities include past service on the Northern District of California Patent Local Rules Committee, President of the Lafayette Elementary School PTA, and past membership on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Legal Services Program and Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco for which she was chair of the Finance and Investments Committee. She also is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco and the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Northern California Chapter, as well as a past president of the Barristers Club.

Denise Mingrone Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property, Trade Secrets Litigation

Silicon Valley

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D:+1 650 614 7682
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Intellectual Property
Trade Secrets Litigation

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Denise Mingrone Senior Counsel

Silicon Valley

No stranger to the courtroom and having handled complex litigations for technology giants including Synopsys, Brocade, Applied Materials and Oracle, Denise seamlessly and efficiently manages large teams to secure victory. Clients appreciate her transparent collaboration and instinct for developing a strategy that ensures the right evidence is presented in the best manner.

The jury verdict Denise’s team obtained in the Netgear v. Ruckus Wireless patent trial, for example, surprised most because the team took over the case just weeks before jury selection, earning the number one place on that week’s “Top Jury Verdicts.” Prior to the Ruckus trial, Denise’s team similarly received accolades as “Top Verdict of the Year” for its jury win on behalf of Brocade against A10 Networks involving patent and copyright infringement. These victories were preceded by a trade secret win for MGA in the “Barbie v. Bratz” epic battle against Mattel, which earned Denise the “California Lawyer of the Year” award for her contributions.

In addition, Ms. Mingrone has led numerous software piracy matters, obtaining full relief whether through negotiation or litigation. Her work in this area encompasses both confidential as well as public investigations, all designed to ensure clients secure the protection of their intellectual property rights and receive appropriate relief when those rights are infringed.

As a former law clerk to several federal judges, Denise appreciates that cases do not turn on facts alone. She has waged and won numerous courtroom battles both obtaining and defending pre-trial injunction motions. As one opponent noted, “She’s a fierce advocate who will go to the mat for her client’s position.”