Overview
Leason Ellis represented Tianhai Lace, the world’s largest manufacturer of lace, in a significant copyright enforcement action in the Central District of California involving thirty (30) registered lace designs. Tianhai maintains the world’s most extensive portfolio of original lace works, and its complaint alleged widespread infringement by Shein through the unauthorized manufacture and distribution of garments incorporating Tianhai’s protected designs.
The Firm assumed responsibility for the matter after a prior California litigation counsel became embroiled in a dispute over whether the parties had reached a binding settlement. Shein moved to enforce what they characterized as an agreement, relying on an incomplete mediator’s proposal that—if accepted—could have granted them broad latitude to continue a pattern of willful infringement. Leason Ellis successfully opposed the motion, persuading the Court to find that “the mediator’s proposal is not entirely self‑executing and contemplates further mediation” as well as emphasize that it was “not the parties’ last word on this issue.” The Court further noted that, in a subsequent joint case‑management statement, the parties themselves acknowledged that “several key terms” remained unresolved and that additional discovery and litigation might be required. With that enforcement effort defeated, the Leason Ellis team advanced the case strategically to the point of leveraging a favorable resolution for Tianhai, protecting its valuable design portfolio and reinforcing its position as a global leader in lace innovation.References
https://law.lexmachina.com/documents/m/306680414 (notice of settlement); https://law.lexmachina.com/documents/m/286266440 (order on motion to enforce settlement)
