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Partner
Practice Focus
Litigation
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 serves as lead counsel in an MDL class action proceeding in which plaintiffs in over 25 states allege fraud and violation of state unfair business practice statutes arising from the technology used in the retail sale of gasoline, and he obtained an injunction against an Internet portal requiring it to cease infringements on its network of more than 300,000 websites.
Mr. Morris is a contributor to the blog on consumer marketing legal issues, www.consumeradvertisinglawblog.com.
Litigation 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.
- 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).
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.
- Defending Atlantic Richfield against public nuisance claims brought by cities and counties in California seeking abatement of all residential 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
- 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).
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.
- Defending Atlantic Richfield against public nuisance claims brought by cities and counties in California seeking abatement of all residential 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.
- 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.
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.
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
Southern California Super Lawyers 2013
The Legal 500 US 2011 recommended for Intellectual Property: Copyright
Southern California Super Lawyers "Rising Star" 2005-2007, 2011
Daily Journal (Los Angeles and San Francisco) "20 Top Lawyers Under 40" 2009
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 "'Compete on Privacy,' It Does the Business Good" (PDF: 559 kB) Los Angeles Daily Journal February 4, 2010
Sean Morris "Wrestling With Consumer Privacy on the Internet" (PDF: 426 kB) Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 21, 2010
Presentations
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
James S. Blackburn, Diane M. Lambillotte,
Sean Morris,
John C. Ulin and Suzanne V. Wilson.
"WEBCAST: Overview of 2010 Developments in Lanham Act, Social Media, Trademark, and Copyright Law" January 28, 2011.
(also available as a Podcast)
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)