Ropers, Majeski, Kohn and Bentley Adds IP Litigator Robert Rivas as Partner in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA , October 1, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, P.C. (RMKB), a multi-service law firm offering litigation and transactional services nationally and internationally, has added Robert A. Rivas as partner in its Los Angeles office. He joins the firm from AlvaradoSmith, PC where he was partner.
“Robert is an outstanding addition to our Los Angeles office, strengthening our IP practice and giving us a unique toehold in wine, beer and spirits,” said Michael J. Ioannou, firm chairman. “His broad skillset and experience in helping clients identify strategies to protect their intellectual property, including crafting and implementing anti-counterfeit strategies, complements our practice and offers additional resources to clients.”
Rivas joins the firm’s Intellectual Property and Litigation practice areas, with a particular focus on wine, beer and spirits. He routinely represents brand owners, manufacturers, importers and distributors in managing global intellectual property portfolios; negotiating supply, manufacturing, importing and distribution contracts; mergers and acquisitions and related litigation. Rivas routinely represents clients before state and federal courts and before regulatory bodies including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).
Sample wine and spirits matters include: securing a favorable outcome in a trade dress infringement matter brought against his client, a boutique tequila maker, by a large liquor industry competitor seeking to block the client’s product from entering the marketplace; assisting in the establishment of a joint-venture for a maker of an alcohol-infused dairy drink; and assisting a large Spanish winery in its international expansion efforts.
Rivas’ first representative matter in the wine, beer and spirits industry was the 2001 litigation and resulting sale of Tequila Cazadores to Bacardi Limited.
Notably, Rivas represents the National Tequila Chamber, assisting in the protection of the appellation of origin of tequila.
A frequent lecturer and MCLE provider on international litigation and wine, beer and spirits law topics, Rivas presents at the Annual National Conference on Wine, Beer & Spirits Law, the International Intellectual Property Law Society and Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys & Consultants on international intellectual property and other alcohol beverage issues.
Rivas is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 1998) and the University of Southern California (B.A., 1995). Active in the community, he is a board member for the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach., Calif.
About Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, P.C.
Based in Redwood City, Calif., RMKB maintains offices throughout California and in Boston and New York City, with Las Vegas, Seattle, Hong Kong and Paris coming soon. The firm conducts a multi-service practice offering litigation and transactional services to domestic and international businesses and individuals. RMKB’s practice areas include appellate; corporate and business litigation; banking and consumer credit; construction; real estate; employment; entertainment; environmental; ERISA; professional liability; intellectual property; insurance coverage and bad faith; catastrophic injury; product liability; maritime and multimodal transportation; and asset protection, estate planning and taxation.
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