Hal Barza is a highly experienced trial lawyer with demonstrated expertise in trying patent cases, antitrust cases and complex securities and general commercial cases. He has won patent cases tried to juries, judges and the International Trade Commission; won defense verdicts in major antitrust cases; and recently, he obtained one of the largest securities arbitration awards ever issued in the U.S. His expertise is recognized by the community and by legal publications, including Best Lawyers in America.
With a background in math and physics, Hal is well suited to handle complex matters involving technology and/or economics. He can hold his own with experts, but at the same time, take the complex and make it understandable to the layperson. Hal is the head of the firm’s antitrust practice.
- In the Matter of Certain Ink Cartridges and Components Thereof – Obtained one of the largest general exclusion orders ever issued by the ITC. In a separate but related proceeding (Ninestar Technology Co., Ltd. v. ITC), obtained largest ITC enforcement penalty in history and a subsequent Federal Circuit affirmance in a precedential opinion.
- 3M v. TransWeb – Obtained defense jury verdict finding plaintiffs’ patents invalid and not infringed, and finding that plaintiffs had committed attempted monopolization by defrauding the PTO into issuing the patents-in-suit.
- Rosen Capital Partners LP and Rosen Capital Institutional LP v. Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. – Obtained arbitration award of $90 million (with interest), which was affirmed on appeal. The Wall Street Journal described it as one of the largest investor arbitration awards ever issued by a FINRA arbitration panel.
- In re Flash Memory Antitrust Litigation – Represented Samsung in two price-fixing class actions brought by direct and indirect purchasers of NAND flash memory in the Northern District of California; although classes had been certified in similar cases in the same district, successfully defeated class certification motions in both actions.
- Discus Dental Impressions, Inc. v. Align Technology – Obtained finding of wrongful termination on behalf of national distributor of dental products.
- Iran v. Shams Pahlavi et al. – Successfully defended claims by Islamic Republic of Iran against sister of former Shah of Iran seeking all assets held by her.
- McGraw v. Salmon – Representing Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill and other country music stars, obtained summary judgment holding that their professional names were protectable as common law marks.
- Columbia Law School
(J.D., 1976)- Columbia Law Review:
- Board of Editors: Member, 1975-1976
- Chancellor James Kent Scholar, 1974-1976
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, 1973-1974
- Columbia Law Review:
- Boston University
(A.B., 1973)
The State Bar of California; The State Bar of New York; United States Supreme Court; Supreme Court of New York; Supreme Court of California; United States Courts of Appeals: Ninth Circuit, Federal Circuit; United States District Courts: Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California
- French
- Adjunct Professor, Mass Communications Law:
- Southwestern University School of Law, 1979-1982
- Southwestern University School of Law, 1979-1982
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Milton Pollack:
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1976-1977
- Ranked by The Best Lawyers in Intellectual Property/Patent Litigation, 2013-2020.
- Managing Intellectual Property: IP Star, 2014
- Recognized as a “National Antitrust Litigation Star” by Benchmark Plaintiff Litigation, 2012.
- Recognized as a “Southern California Super Lawyer”, 2005-2012.
- Recipient of Martindale Hubbell’s prestigious “AV” rating.
- Recognized by Legal 500 as an expert in antitrust matters.
- Judge Pro Tem, Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1985
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Section on Trial Lawyers
- Section on Antitrust
- Member, American Bar Association
- Committee on Antitrust Litigation
- Section on Litigation
- Section on Intellectual Property