Nancy C. Morgan | Attorney

Nancy Morgan specializes in civil litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property matters, including patent, copyright, trademark and trade-secret disputes. Her practice also includes employment, breach of contract, unfair competition, entertainment litigation and general business disputes. Nancy represents individuals, small businesses and multinational corporations in arbitrations and in state and federal courts. She has a wide range of experience in general business litigation and alternative dispute resolution, representing retailers, manufacturers, motion picture studios, publishers and corporations in the toy, food, technology and pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, Nancy has significant appellate practice drafting principal briefs and certiorari petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In her intellectual property practice, Nancy provides transactional services as well as litigation. She prepares legal opinions on ownership, ability to copyright and infringement issues, drafts and negotiates assignments and licenses and advises on protecting, transferring and obtaining rights.

Nancy also works directly with clients, often at their offices, on general commercial transactions. She counsels management and business departments on day-to-day legal issues arising from contracts with customers, suppliers, distributors and licensees. In this capacity, she also prepares and reviews supply agreements, distribution agreements and other agreements relating to the purchase or sale of goods or services.

Prior to entering private practice, Nancy was a law clerk for the Honorable Lynn N. Hughes in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Texas. She is conversant in German.

Notable Results:

• Defended international retailer against trade dress claims asserted by Australian boot manufacturer. Manufacturer voluntarily dismissed claims after retailer moved for their dismissal.
• Defended a patent declaratory action against a Canadian toy manufacturer by a competitor. Obtained dismissal of case after moving to dismiss for failure to join a necessary party, lack of personal jurisdiction and lack of case or controversy under the Declaratory Judgment Act.
• Argued before Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in $3.2 million attorney fee dispute.
• Won summary judgment for an automotive industry executive in an action to enforce a default judgment entered against him in Canada.
• Successfully represented marine engine parts designer in action for trade dress, trade secret, false advertising and unfair competition and related tort claims asserted against former supplier.
• Successfully arbitrated claim by semiconductor manufacturer against its former U.K.-based distributor.
• Defended a copyright and tort action against a toy inventor and manufacturer based in Hong Kong. After defendants filed motions to dismiss, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its claims. The judge awarded sanctions for the inventor.
  Represented a Polish television distributor in arbitration against independent studio for breach of distribution agreement. Case resulted in a favorable settlement for client.
• Defense of motion picture studio in an action brought by an actor alleging $24 million in damages for breach of contract, misappropriation of his rights of publicity, and various other torts. The case resulted in a favorable settlement for the client.
• Patent infringement action litigated on behalf of plaintiff semiconductor manufacturer against competitor. Fourteen motions for summary judgment or summary adjudication granted. At trial, the jury found competitor's entire product line infringed client's patents and awarded $6.8 million in damages.

Industry Experience:

• Apparel/Textile
• Communications
• Food & Beverage 
• Healthcare/Biotechnology
• Manufacturing
• New Media/Entertainment
• Non Profit
• Retail
• Technology

Assistant:
Ethel Kariss
Phone: (310) 286-1700
Email