Linda A. Friedman

Retired Partner

Linda Friedman was a partner before retiring at Bradley. She was a veteran of the intellectual property, antitrust, and business torts bars, with 40 years of experience as a litigator and counselor. She was named in The Best Lawyers in America® for Intellectual Property and Franchise Law, and in Alabama Super Lawyers for Intellectual Property. Linda was a past chair of the Alabama Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust and Business Torts, and lectured frequently on trademark and copyright topics, and trade secret protection, as well as state and federal antitrust issues.

Linda’s litigation practice was concentrated in trade regulation and marketing matters, including competitive torts, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, franchisee/franchisor disputes, distributor/supplier disputes, antitrust, and covenants not to compete. She regularly advised clients in these areas and on contract and distribution issues, and software contracts. Her practice included selection, registration, and protection of trademarks; copyrights; licensing; and dispute resolutions. Linda assisted clients in filing trademark applications in approximately 90 countries, and defended and prosecuted opposition and cancellation proceedings in the U.S. and several foreign countries.

Linda defended as well as prosecuted numerous intellectual property cases in federal district courts and on appeal to U.S. Courts of Appeals and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She served on a Task Force of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to draft pattern jury instructions in copyright cases.

Transactional Practice

Linda represented businesses and individuals in acquiring and protecting intellectual property, including copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other rights whether secured by license, inventorship, registration, or otherwise. She frequently counseled clients in navigating laws and resolving disputes regarding domain names, internet marketing, and website policies and practices. She advised companies selling or acquiring businesses, particularly with respect to the companies’ intellectual property, and negotiated the contract terms, as well as negotiated other contracts involving intellectual property. Her clients included information technology developers and licensors, software licensees, healthcare providers, publishers, authors, financial institutions, building products suppliers, and businesses at every level of distribution. Linda’s transactional practice was informed by her extensive litigation experience involving intellectual property disputes and disputes in the related fields of marketing, competitive torts, and antitrust.

Notable Matters

Madison Oslin v. Interstate Resources, et al., MJG-12-3041 (D. Md. 2015)
Successfully defended company president and another employee from claim of trade secret misappropriation and related claims. After removing case to federal court in Birmingham, secured dismissal of numerous claims and secured transfer to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Following extensive discovery and motions for summary judgment, the court granted summary judgment for all defendants on all remaining claims, and ruled that defendants were entitled to an award of attorneys’ fees under the state trade secret statute.

Grand Slam Club/Ovis v. International Sheep Hunters Association, CV 2:06cv4643 (N.D. Ala. 2010) 
After a two-week jury trial on trademark and copyright claims and counterclaims, the jury rendered a verdict for our client, Grand Slam Club/Ovis, on all counts, for a total of $1.9 million. The court denied defendants’ post-trial motions and, in December 2010, entered permanent injunction in favor of our client along with money judgment.

William E. Poole Designs, Inc. v. Southern Living, Inc.,CV-05-B-65-S (N.D. Ala. 2008) 
Defended Southern Living against copyright infringement claims in which the plaintiff sought damages in excess of $100 million based upon the alleged infringement of numerous house plans and artist renderings. On behalf of Southern Living, we also asserted counterclaims of trademark infringement in which we claimed that the plaintiff and its principal owner infringed the SOUTHERN LIVING mark by using the term in Google and Yahoo key word advertising campaigns, in its website metadata and in other ways on its website.

Huggins v. Beacon Communications, LLC,CV-01-HGD-2919 (N.D. Ala.) 
Copyright infringement suit by author who claimed movie, produced by our clients, infringed copyright in his novel. Succeeded in transferring case to California where defendants are located, and established that author’s failure to list his copyright as asset in his bankruptcy deprived him of standing to pursue claim.

Ramada Inns v. Gadsden Motel Co,904 F.2d 1562 (11th Cir. 1986) 
On appeal of judgment for client Ramada Inns, court upheld damages award for trademark infringement and breach of franchise agreement.