Robert M. Ashen
rashen@disnerlaw.com
Practice Areas: Intellectual Property Law ( 80%); Arbitration and Mediation (20%)
Admitted to Practice Before: 1958, Illinois Bar; 1962, California;
Courts: 1958, N.D. Illinois ; 1962, C.D. California ;1964,N.D. California; 1964,Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; 1959, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
Law School: Harvard Law School, J.D. 1958
College: Purdue University, B.S.M.E. 1956, Distinguished Student; Tau Beta Pi (All Engineering Honorary); Pi Tau Sigma (Mechanical Engineering Honorary).
Member: Beverly Hills Bar Association, ADR Section, IP Section, Chair of Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee; American Arbitration Association ; Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association
Biography: Has since 1958 actively practiced Intellectual Property law both in private practice and as IP and general counsel for a New York stock exchange Corporation. This covered a full range of IP practice including preparation and prosecution of patent, trademark and copyright applications, sale, licensing and other contractual arrangements dealing with IP properties, negotiations and resolution of conflicts in the IP area, and work on litigation in such areas. Work on litigation include preparation of briefs and arguments, analysis and application of prior art as applied to claims and the like. Working with litigators, arbitration experience was particularly helpful to evaluate the importance and impact of particular evidentiary matters as they would likely be perceived by the trier of fact. Activities also extended to employment and independent consultant situations, sales representative and distributor relations, computer and high-tech areas, and unfair competition.
Served as a neutral in a number of high profile cases, including the following:
- A dispute between an American generic drug manufacturer and a Japanese generic drug manufacturer/distributor involving a product to be produced in this country and marketed in Japan.
- A dispute between a major clothing manufacturer and one of its important licensees involving termination of the license by the manufacturer.
- A dispute between a major Japanese manufacturer and service provider for some 600 wind energy turbines and the purchasers and owners of those turbines, involving an alleged breach of warranty and breach of service contracts.
- A dispute between a manufacturer of wind energy turbines and the purchasers and owners of the turbines over whether the guarantees to the power that would be delivered by the wind turbines were in fact satisfied.
Training in Alternate Dispute Resolution:40 hour "Commercial Mediation" training from ADRA (Alternate Dispute Resolution Associates - Nancy Yeend, Palo Alto, CA, March 1994)Full day training for mediating Intellectual Property disputes. (Seattle, Washington, April 1995)Full cycle of American Arbitration Association Advanced Arbitrator Training through two full day training AArbitrator II-Advanced Case Management Issues@ (Los Angeles, CA, January 2002)
Employment History:
- 2004-present: Of Counsel to Seldon & Scillieri, Los Angeles, California
- 2003-2004: Of Counsel to Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch (in Los Angeles office of Washington D.C. Firm)
- 1972-2003: Co-founder and member of firm of Ashen & Lippman
- 1967-1971: Corporate Secretary, General Counsel & Patent Counsel VSI Corporation, Pasadena, California (Became a part of Fairchild Industries)
- 1967-1969: Vice-President: Growth Technology Corporation (High-technology new venture development company; part-time)
- 1961-1963, Herzig, Walsh & Blackham
- 1965-1966: Beverly Hills, California
- 1958-1961, Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery
- 1963-1965: Chicago, Illinois (in Chicago, and as sole resident attorney at San Francisco Office)
Alternative Dispute Resolution Activities:
- Arbitrator for American Arbitration Association since early 1960's
- Arbitrator for L.A. County Superior Court Mandatory Arbitration Program
- Mediator for L.A. County Superior Court Mandatory Mediation Program
- Arbitrator for Beverly Hills Bar Association (Attorney Fee Arbitrations and Arbitration Panel)
- Settlement Officer for Beverly Hills Municipal Court
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