Bret A. Fausett

Bret Fausett has joined the law firm of Adorno, Yoss, Alvarado & Smith. He was formerly a partner with Cathcart Collins LLP, specializing in business litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property and internet disputes. His significant recent and current engagements include representing the following:

A major U.S.-based sports equipment manufacturer in consumer class action; in previous action for same company (LA Superior), achieved early dismissal of significant breach of contract action (USDC);

India-based exporter in breach of contract and fraud action (USDC);

The minority faction of union in dispute with union leaders over use of e-mail to campaign against union policies (USDC);

The creator of characters for long-running television series in copyright infringement and lost royalty claims against studio and production company (in negotiations);

Brokers hired by major Wall Street brokerage house in trade secret litigation brought by rival brokerages (LA Superior / NASD Arbitration);

The Slesinger family interests in long-running litigation against Disney for breach of royalty agreement (LA Superior Court / USDC);

A major U.S. Property/Casualty insurer in insurance coverage and bad faith claims (OC Superior Court);

A major U.S.-based games and toy manufacturer in negotiations with licensors for Internet rights to games;

Pre-launch legal, intellectual property and regulatory compliance review for web site of major U.S.-based games and toy manufacturer.

Prior to returning to Los Angeles in 1999, Mr. Fausett was a founder of the firm Fausett, Gaeta & Lund LLP, where he successfully pursued a Lanham Act claim against falsely labeled goods; successfully defended insurance coverage claims alleging exposure to formalin compounds; negotiated and drafted numerous contracts for creation of e-commerce web site for a Fortune 500 retailer; represented a Fortune 500 property-casualty insurer on an in-house rotation; and oversaw the litigation of 20+ coverage cases filed against the insurer in various states.

Mr. Fausett was an associate with Choate Hall & Stewart LLP in Boston from 1992-1996, where he managed multi-party complex insurance coverage litigation, appearing in court, taking and defending depositions and interacting with firm clients.

Memberships and Activities

Board Member and Secretary, Glendale Educational Foundation (501(c)(3) charitable foundation designed to create public-private partnerships between Glendale Unified School District and the Glendale, California community). October, 2004 to present

At Large Liason, Generic Names Supporting Organization of ICANN (policy position advocating on behalf of Internet users with respect to domain name policies developed within structure of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN meets three time each year (Mar del Playa, Argentina in April, 2005; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg in July, 2005; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in December, 2005). February, 2005 to present

Los Angeles Copyright Society 2004 to present

Federal Bar Association 2004 to present

Association of Business Trial Lawyers 2003 to present

California Bar 1989 to present

Education

Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville, Tennessee J.D. 1988

Patrick Wilson Scholar in Law (three-year full tuition scholarship based on academic accomplishments and leadership); Research Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law; Author, Note, Extending the Self-Incrimination Clause to Persons in Fear of Foreign Prosecution; Legal Clinic (lead trial attorney in jury trial on 42 U.S.C. §1983 claim against Tennessee State Prison for Women); Winner, First Year Appellate Advocacy Competition.

Awards

2003 Maggie Award from the Western Publishers Association for "Best Regularly Featured Department, Section or Column" for the :Legal Code" column in CMP Media's New Architect Magazine. The columns judged for the prize were the September, October and November 2002 columns noted in "Publications" below. [See also "Publications" section of this website.]

Media Exposure

Featured as Internet law expert on ABC Television's 20/20, CNN's Burden of Proof, and local Los Angeles-based news stations. Quoted numerous times in various print and onine publications on Internet and ICANN-related topics, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wired, AP and Reuters, CNET, and Network Computing. Featured on case-related stories on National Public Radio's Morning Edition and in the Los Angeles Times, AP and Reuters, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal.