Los Angeles
tel: +1 213.243.4222
fax: +1 213.243.4199
fax: +1 213.243.4199
Sean.Morris@aporter.com
Practice Focus
Sean Morris represents clients in complex commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on intellectual property and technology, unfair business practices, and consumer protection matters. Mr. Morris has served as lead counsel in several multidistrict litigations, class actions, and disputes involving multiple international parties. He also serves as the head of the hiring committee for the Los Angeles office.
Among his significant cases, Mr. Morris obtained an injunction against an Internet portal requiring it to cease infringements on its network of more than 300,000 websites and defeated certification of a class that would have encompassed hundreds of individuals with claims against a manufacturer of component gas valves.
Mr. Morris is a contributor to the blog on consumer marketing legal issues, www.consumeradvertisinglawblog.com.
Representative Matters
Intellectual Property & Technology
- Represented music industry leader in cutting-edge copyright litigation regarding use of sound recordings and compositions on user generated content and social networking sites, including the extent of protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
- Represent diverse group of major content owners as Amici in Ninth Circuit as part of appeal from the federal district court's UMG v. Veoh decisions, which addressed application of the DMCA to a User Generated Content website.
- Defended putative nationwide class actions in multidistrict litigation regarding practice of advertising and contracting for content downloaded directly to smartphones.
- Lead counsel for Moreover Technologies, a provider of Internet search technology, in a case of first impression brought by the Associated Press addressing the scope of copyright protection and fair use in the context of Internet searches and transformative information products.
- Defended mobile entertainment company against unfair competition and trademark claims brought by competitor video game manufacturer.
- Defended VeriSign against claims seeking to end VeriSign's operation of the .com and .net domain name registry system.
- Litigated copyright and trademark claims on behalf of magazine publisher and obtained an injunction against an Internet portal requiring it to cease infringements on its network of more than 300,000 websites. Perfect 10, Inc.v. Cybernet Ventures, 213 F. Supp. 2d 1146 (C.D. Cal. 2002).
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of production company against copyright claims by the heirs of one of the original writers of The Pink Panther.
- Represented leading developer of name matching and data compilation technology in multimillion dollar licensing dispute under original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement.
- Defended national printing and business forms company in copyright dispute regarding artwork used in connection with airline safety cards.
Business Litigation
- Serving as lead defense counsel for a major oil company in multidistrict litigation in which plaintiffs allege fraud and violation of state unfair business practice statutes based on the sale of gasoline by the volumetric gallon, without the use of advanced temperature adjustment technology.
- Lead counsel defending national grocery store chain in putative class action asserting unfair business practice claims based on alleged misrepresentations regarding the nutritional content of food products.
- Defending Atlantic Richfield against public nuisance claims brought by cities and counties in California seeking abatement of all property within their jurisdictions that contain lead paint. Case included appeal to the California Supreme Court regarding the issue of whether the governmental entities can retain attorneys on a contingent fee basis.
- Defeated class certification in lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of individuals against former manufacturer of gas component valves.
- Represented manufacturer of cutting-edge renewable and compostable plastics in dispute against competitor for unfair business practices and false statements.
- Represented high-end fragrance manufacturer in multimillion dollar breach of contract dispute with prince of Brunei.
Environmental
- Acting as lead counsel for Honeywell and UOP LLC in litigation brought by Orange County Water District alleging groundwater contamination.
- Acted as lead counsel for Honeywell in action brought by over 100 individual plaintiffs alleging exposure to toxic chemicals at former facility.
- Providing advice regarding compliance with California's Proposition 65, remediation and cleanup of contaminated sites, and negotiations with regulatory agencies.
Other
- Lead trial counsel in federal jury trial in case brought against County of Los Angeles and employees for alleged violation of pre-trial detainee civil rights.
- Represented Los Angeles Unified School District as trial counsel in nine-day federal jury trial in case alleging discrimination and infliction of emotional distress.
Representative Matters
Intellectual Property & Technology
- Represented music industry leader in cutting-edge copyright litigation regarding use of sound recordings and compositions on user generated content and social networking sites, including the extent of protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
- Represent diverse group of major content owners as Amici in Ninth Circuit as part of appeal from the federal district court’s UMG v. Veoh decisions, which addressed application of the DMCA to a User Generated Content website.
- Defended putative nationwide class actions in multidistrict litigation regarding practice of advertising and contracting for content downloaded directly to smartphones.
- Lead counsel for Moreover Technologies, a provider of Internet search technology, in a case of first impression brought by the Associated Press addressing the scope of copyright protection and fair use in the context of Internet searches and transformative information products.
- Defended mobile entertainment company against unfair competition and trademark claims brought by competitor video game manufacturer.
- Defended VeriSign against claims seeking to end VeriSign’s operation of the .com and .net domain name registry system.
- Litigated copyright and trademark claims on behalf of magazine publisher and obtained an injunction against an Internet portal requiring it to cease infringements on its network of more than 300,000 websites. Perfect 10, Inc.v. Cybernet Ventures, 213 F. Supp. 2d 1146 (C.D. Cal. 2002).
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of production company against copyright claims by the heirs of one of the original writers of The Pink Panther.
- Represented leading developer of name matching and data compilation technology in multimillion dollar licensing dispute under original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement.
- Defended national printing and business forms company in copyright dispute regarding artwork used in connection with airline safety cards.
Business Litigation
- Serving as lead defense counsel for a major oil company in multidistrict litigation in which plaintiffs allege fraud and violation of state unfair business practice statutes based on the sale of gasoline by the volumetric gallon, without the use of advanced temperature adjustment technology.
- Lead counsel defending national grocery store chain in putative class action asserting unfair business practice claims based on alleged misrepresentations regarding the nutritional content of food products.
- Defending Atlantic Richfield against public nuisance claims brought by cities and counties in California seeking abatement of all property within their jurisdictions that contain lead paint. Case included appeal to the California Supreme Court regarding the issue of whether the governmental entities can retain attorneys on a contingent fee basis.
- Defeated class certification in lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of individuals against former manufacturer of gas component valves.
- Represented manufacturer of cutting-edge renewable and compostable plastics in dispute against competitor for unfair business practices and false statements.
- Represented high-end fragrance manufacturer in multimillion dollar breach of contract dispute with prince of Brunei.
Environmental
- Acting as lead counsel for Honeywell and UOP LLC in litigation brought by Orange County Water District alleging groundwater contamination.
- Aced as lead counsel for Honeywell in action brought by over 100 individual plaintiffs alleging exposure to toxic chemicals at former facility.
- Providing advice regarding compliance with California’s Proposition 65, remediation and cleanup of contaminated sites, and negotiations with regulatory agencies.
Other
- Lead trial counsel in federal jury trial in case brought against County of Los Angeles and employees for alleged violation of pre-trial detainee civil rights.
- Represented Los Angeles Unified School District as trial counsel in nine-day federal jury trial in case alleging discrimination and infliction of emotional distress.
Rankings
Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s “20 Top Lawyers Under 40” 2009
Los Angeles Magazine's "Rising Star" 2005-2007
Professional and Community Activities
Professional Activity
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Editorial Board Member, Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, 2004-2007
Community Activity
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Founder and current board member, Reading to Kids, a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization
Articles
Sean Morris and Suzanne V. Wilson. "'Compete on Privacy,' It Does the Business Good." (PDF: 559 kB) Los Angeles Daily Journal February 4, 2010.
Sean Morris and Suzanne V. Wilson. "Wrestling With Consumer Privacy on the Internet." (PDF: 426 kB) Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 21, 2010.
Presentations
Monty Agarwal, James S. Blackburn, Sean Morris, Beth H. Parker, John C. Ulin, Suzanne V. Wilson and Ryan M. Nishimoto. "IP/Technology: 2010 Midyear Update." Arnold & Porter LLP, Palo Alto, CA, June 8, 2010.
Sean Morris. "The Expansion of Public Nuisance Law." BP West Coast Products, January 22, 2009.
Sean Morris. "Pre-filing Issues and Preparation for IP-related Internet Cases." Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California, July 17, 2008.
Sean Morris. "Drafting Enforceable Consumer Contracts." panelist, Federal Communications Bar Association, November 7, 2007.
Sean Morris. "A Brave New World: Consumer Protection Enforcement and Private Litigation In The Coming Tech-ade." panelist, Los Angeles County Bar Association, June 13, 2007.
Multimedia
Monty Agarwal,
James S. Blackburn,
Sean Morris,
Beth H. Parker,
John C. Ulin and
Suzanne V. Wilson.
"WEBCAST: IP/Technology: 2010 Midyear Update" June 08, 2010.
(also available as a Podcast)
James S. Blackburn,
Diane M. Lambillotte,
Sean Morris,
John C. Ulin and
Suzanne V. Wilson.
"WEBCAST: IP/Technology: Year In Review and Trends For 2010" January 29, 2010.
(also available as a Podcast)
JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 1996
BA, University of California, Berkeley, 1993
California
New York