The law firm of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP recently announced the addition of two partners, Mary E. Rasenberger and Eleanor M. Lackman, both of whom are well known in the copyright and trademark fields. Both attorneys will join the firm’s digital media and intellectual property practice.

Rasenberger joins the firm from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where her practice focused on copyright and digital media. For over twenty years, she has worked in the area of intellectual property, with a focus on copyright law and technology.

Her experience includes the counsel of clients in a broad range of fields, including internet, publishing, entertainment, technology, media and technology; her areas of specialty include policy, litigation, infringement analysis, and licensing.

Significant cases in which Rasenberger has been involved include Viacom v. YouTube in the Southern District of New York and Second Circuit, UMG v. Veoh in the Ninth Circuit, and Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick in the Supreme Court, for which she drafted amicus briefs on behalf of rights holders.

She also represented Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt in a series of lawsuits brought by photographers, and represented several software companies in major copyright infringement and trade secret litigations.

She also represented clients in the Google Books Settlement and in DMCA rulemaking proceedings. She has also advised a variety of Internet and entertainment companies on copyright law in the online environment, and handled major transactions involving the acquisition and licensing of copyrights and related properties.

Before returning to Skadden in 2008, Ms. Rasenberger served as a Policy Planning Advisor for the Register of Copyrights; as well, she managed the National Digital Infrastructure & Information Preservation Program (NDIIPP) at the Library of Congress. In addition, she worked in the IP and technology groups of both a major record company and New York law firms.

Rasenberger was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “I am thrilled to be joining new and old friends at CDAS. The firm’s deep expertise across all areas of entertainment and media law and high degree of professionalism have impressed me. CDAS is the perfect match for my practice in copyright and digital media. The expertise that Eleanor and I bring to CDAS will create terrific synergies for existing CDAS clientele and will help to grow the practice.”

Lackman joins from Hogan Lovells. She has broad experience in copyright, trademark and commercial litigation and counseling, especially in the areas of IP and new media.

She has provided representation to clients in a wide range of industries, including those in media, entertainment, luxury goods, consumer products, and telecom, in scores of federal and state court lawsuits at trial and appellate levels, as well as in arbitrations, domain name dispute proceedings and contentious matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Significant cases in which she has been involved include Capitol Records v. Naxos of America in the Court of Appeals of New York, Cartoon Network v. CSC Holdings and Tiffany v. eBay in the Southern District of New York and Second Circuit, U.S. v. ASCAP (In re Yahoo! and RealNetworks) in the Second Circuit and Supreme Court, and Capitol Records v. Thomas in the District of Minnesota. In these cases, which involved complex IP issues, she represented litigants or amicus parties.

She has also counseled a wide variety of clients in matters regarding copyright, trademark and technology licensing, and exploitation and enforcement.

Lackman was quoted as saying in the same press release at the firm’s website: “Cowan DeBaets provides a concentration of in-depth expertise in copyright, trademark and digital media law that not only rivals that of other leading firms of all sizes, but is on a trajectory of growth. The ability to match that expertise with business-conscious rates was a real draw for me to join the firm.”

Located in New York, New York, Boutique law firm Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard (CDAS) has provided legal counsel to leading media and entertainment clients for over twenty-five years, offering them expert services regarding copyright, trademark and media disputes.

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Given a long-established principle that lawyers working in receivership situations should be awarded moderate fees, “the request for fees of $2,147,666 for 20 days of work is excessive,” said US District Judge Denny Chin in Manhattan.

Lawyers, paralegals and staff at New York’s Dewey & LeBoeuf logged over 5,500 hours on the WexTrust case, or more than 275 hours a day.

Chin determined that the law firm should receive $1.7 million for the work performed between August 11th and 31st. Dewey & LeBoeuf may apply for the difference between what it sought and what he awarded when the final distribution of WexTrust assets is made.

The law firm’s request was part of a joint application for compensation by Timothy Coleman, the court-appointed receiver for WexTrust and a partner at Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Chin approved the full amount of Coleman’s request for $57,300 in receiver’s fees. Coleman’s hourly rate had been cut to $250 specifically for the WexTrust case, from his standard rate of $850 to $950. The judge also approved a request of $66,640 in fees for the accounting and advisory firm Deloitte Financial Advisory Services.

Chicago-based WexTrust and two of its owners, Joseph Shereshevsky and Steven Byers, were charged by the SEC with defrauding investors by diverting $100 million of funds to unauthorized uses. Afterward, the court froze the defendants’ assets and appointed Coleman as WexTrust’s receiver.

Via PilotOnline.

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Dewey & LeBoeuf served as reciever for WexTrust Capital in an SEC lawsuit. WexTrust ran a Ponzi scheme that raised $225 million by targeting the Orthodox Jewish community (a popular tactic these days).

Judge Chin froze WexTrust’s assets, and appointed Dewey to serve as receiver. Last month, Dewey submitted an application to collect compensation and expenses for the first twenty or so days it served as receiver. The firm asked for $2.2 million.

G&H Partners, one of the larger creditors in the receivership, objected to the request. Now Chin has asked Dewey & LeBoeuf to justify the amount:

It is difficult to evaluate the reasonableness of the hourly rates for most of the lawyers listed. For example, [five attorneys] — all simply described as “Associate” — have substantial hours billed at hourly rates of, respectively, $605, $605, $550, $605, and $605. Without knowing anything about their backgrounds, it is difficult for the Court to determine whether the requested hourly rates are reasonable. …

While I accept the representations that the requested hourly rates are D&L’s standard hourly rates for the individuals involved, I wonder whether the rates are high for legal services rendered in connection with a securities receivership proceeding. Is it reasonable to bill at hourly rates of $700 to $950 for partners and $425 to $550 to $605 for associates in the context of a securities receivership? Is it reasonable to bill at hourly rates of $285 for summer associates & $175 to $275 for paralegals? Have courts in other receivership cases awarded fees applying such rates?

Dewey & LeBoeuf declined to comment — their mouths were full of Almas caviar while they cavorted on a solid gold yacht.

Via WSJ Law Blog via Patrick Lamb.

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