Charles von Simson

New York City Office:                    Buffalo Office:

direct dial (212) 514-8652           410 Main Street, Third Floor
fax (212) 514-8648                        Buffalo, NY 14202
cvs@vsandc.com                            direct dial (716) 748-6125

                                                             fax (716) 507-8071

Charlie specializes in patent, copyright and trademark litigation.  He has represented clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States.  Charlie frequently represents inventors and entrepreneurs on a success fee basis in litigation against some of the country's largest corporations. 

Representative engagements include:

• Won a motion for summary judgment on behalf of a regional advertising agency and its retail bank client.  The plaintiff discount brokerage alleged that the clients had infringed its copyright in an animated character that appears in the bank's television commercials. The court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment in substantial part, finding that the allegedly infringed advertisement was cobbled together from stock concepts and there was not substantial similarity between protectable elements of eight of the eleven ads at issue. 
• Negotiated a successful settlement on behalf of the fantasy sports industry's highest stakes independent fantasy football game. The National Football League Players Association agreed to drop its right of publicity lawsuit against the successful entrepreneur and grant the client a valuable Players, Inc. license.
• Obtained a favorable settlement for the inventor in the early rounds of a patent infringement litigation against one of the country's largest lawn mower companies.
• Negotiated a pre-litigation agreement between a start-up handbag and women's accessories marketer and a prominent designer.
• Won a trial verdict in a contingency fee based litigation on behalf of a former employee of a UK financial services company. Established the personal liability of one of the company's principals.
• Prior to founding his own firm, represented the National Football League in opposition to a trademark infringement plaintiff who registered the trademark ST. LOUIS RAMS when the club was considering its move from Los Angeles to St. Louis. Participated in drafting the successful motion for summary judgment to dismiss plaintiff's claims in their entirety.
• Participated in the defense of the validity of the Washington Redskins helmet logo trademark against a challenge by a group of Native Americans on the grounds that the trademark was offensive and therefore invalid. Spent three days on the Pine Hill reservation in South Dakota interviewing residents about their attitudes toward the Redskins' logo, including interviews with the descendants of William "Lone Star" Dietz, a Native American who was the first coach of the team and in whose honor the nickname was adopted.
• Represented a number of NFL member clubs in proceedings before the United State Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Prior to founding von Simson & Chin, Charlie was an attorney at White & Case LLP, Hall Dickler LLP and Reed Smith LLP. He began his career as law clerk to United States District Judge John T. Curtin. Charlie graduated cum laude from Brooklyn Law School, where he was Editor in Chief of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law.