News

The New York Law Journal recently reported on Cohen Kinne’s favorable decision for a client in the federal district court in Manhattan, which granted a preliminary injunction in an employment, trademark and copyright case involving social media networks. In the case, Attorneys David Valicenti and Chris Hennessey represented several online marketers whose employee was responsible for their active social media presence. In the course of doing her job, the employee maintained the passwords and other login information for the websites, email accounts, third-party servers, and social media accounts used by the companies. After the employee was terminated, she failed to return certain access information for numerous social media accounts she managed, including Facebook and Twitter accounts. CKVC commenced suit on behalf of the companies in the Southern District of New York and successfully obtained a preliminary injunction compelling the immediate return of the information. In granting the return of this information, federal judge Naomi Reice Buchwald found that plaintiffs satisfied the heavy burden of showing irreparable harm required to obtain the injunction. Judge Buchwald focused on the importance social media for Internet marketers like the plaintiffs: Plaintiffs depend heavily on their online presence to advertise their businesses, which requires the ability to continuously update their profiles and pages and react to online trends. The inability to do so unquestionably has a negative effect on plaintiffs’ reputation and ability to remain competitive, and the magnitude of that effect is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify in monetary terms. Such injury constitutes irreparable harm. To read the New York Law Journal article on the case, click here. CONTACT: David Valicenti – 413-553-0403 Chris Hennessey - 413-553-0406

July 21, 2011 Salvation Army fundraising is typically done during the holiday season. The needs of those served by the charity last all year long. Cohen Kinne decided to create “Christmas in July” during Pittsfield’s Third Thursday Celebration on North Street, which attracts many people from the Berkshires and elsewhere. Cohen Kinne lawyers and staff, clad in holiday red, rang the well-known Salvation Army bells, while the temperature soared. North Street was full and so was the donation kettle, thanks to the generosity of the Third Thursday participants. Cohen Kinne matched all donations received as part of their gift to the Salvation Army. CONTACT: Jude Forrest – 413-443-9399 OTHER NEWS ARTICLES

Cohen Kinne represented a plastics manufacturer and distributor concerning rights to certain intellectual property.

A retired woman won a six-figure damages award against Smith Barney to compensate her for investment losses caused by the Wall Street firm.

A Superior Court Judge ruled that the former Penn Central Railroad Company (now known as American Premier Underwriters, Inc.) must pay to clean-up property contaminated with PCBs that it sold to a building supply company in 1983.