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IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE
`
`THE TRADEMARK TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`T T A B
`
`Opposition No. 91/164,475
`
`Serial Number 78/325,927
`Publication Date: September 14, 2004
`Mark: FLYIN HAWAIIAN (Stylized)
`......................................................-X
`
`PARIS CHOCOLATES, INC.
`
`Opposer,
`
`vs.
`
`DOCEIRA CAMPOS DO JORDAO LTDA.,.:
`
`Applicant.
`____________________________________________________-_x
`
`OPPOSER’S REPLY TO APPLICANT’S OPPOSITION TO
`
`ITS MOTION TO WITHDRAW
`
`AND
`
`OPPOSER’S OPPOSITION TO APPLICANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS
`
`Kenyon & Kenyon LLP (“Kenyon”) hereby submits its: (i) reply to Applicant’s
`
`Opposition to Motion to Withdraw as Representative and To Suspend Proceedings Due to
`
`Withdrawal of Counsel; and (ii) opposition to Applicant’s Motion to Dismiss Opposition for
`
`Failure to Take Testimony or Offer Evidence.
`
`A.
`
`Kenyon Motion is Properly Made in Good Faith
`
`In its initial brief, Kenyon properly set out grounds under 37 C.F.R. § 10.40(c) for
`
`requesting permission to withdraw in this matter, including, inter alia, lead counsel suffering a
`
`serious medical emergency.1 Furthermore, Kenyon plainly stated in its initial brief that the
`
`request to withdraw was not “a subterfuge to obtain an extension or reopening of time that a
`
`party would not otherwise be entitled to.” It is regrettable that Applicant Dociera Campos Do
`
`' The exact nature of Mr. Mudge’s emergency has been withheld to respect his privacy, however, Kenyon notes that
`Mr. Mudge has required extensive hospitalization.
`
`
`-1- F
`
`06-30-2006
`
`U.S. Patent & TMOfc/TM Mail Rcpt Dt. #22
`
`

`
`Jordao Ltda. (“Applicant”) sees fit to question the sincerity of Kenyon’s request and add more
`
`unpleasantness to what is already an unfortunate set of circumstances.
`
`Applicant attempts to impugn bad faith by stating that Kenyon filed its motion on May
`
`24, 2006 when Opposer’s testimony period ended on May 28, 2006 (as May 28th was a Sunday,
`
`Opposer’s testimony period would have closed on May 29, 2006 pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 2.196).
`
`However, the date that Kenyon filed its motion should not matter given the unexpected nature of
`
`the medical emergency that forms the primary basis for the motion. Obviously, such situations
`
`are unpredictable and do not occur at the convenience of those involved.
`
`As acknowledged by Applicant, on May 12, 2006, Kenyon contacted Applicant’s counsel
`
`to obtain an extension as a result of Mr. Mudge’s injury. Rather than allow the courtesy of an
`
`extension in light of the circumstances, Applicant’s counsel conditioned its consent on further
`
`settlement talks——in effect, using Mr. Mudge’s personal crisis to gain leverage in the litigation.
`
`Kenyon was left with little choice but to file its motion to withdraw. Strangely, Applicant points
`
`to the fact that this unsuccessful communication was not detailed in Kenyon’s initial brief as if
`
`its omission is somehow probative.2 That Applicant had not consented to Kenyon’s requested
`
`extension was clear since Kenyon did not file its motion on consent.
`
`Additionally, Applicant also points out that “Kenyon has 210 attorneys” in an attempt to
`
`imply that any one attorney could have simply replaced Mr. Mudge on this case. Aside from the
`
`fact that those attorneys are geographically spread across three different offices and most have no
`
`experience before the Board, this statistic is meaningless. Those other attorneys are not familiar
`
`with the facts of this case nor the legal theories on which the case has proceeded. Furthermore,
`
`such a position ignores Opposer’s right to choose his own counsel. As evidenced by all of the
`
`2 Applicant’s insinuation that Opposer has been uncooperative with regard to exploring settlement is unfounded. In
`fact, Opposer has made many attempts to resolve this dispute amicably.
`
`

`
`other pleadings filed by Opposer up until the motion to withdraw, Mr. Mudge had been lead
`
`counsel with the assistance of another Kenyon attorney, Susan Smith. While normally Ms.
`
`Smith would have been able to proceed with the case in Mr. Mudge’s absence, Ms. Smith was
`
`out on maternity leave during the relevant time. It is true that Kenyon’s present motion——which
`
`does not address the merits of the underlying case—was not filed by Mr. Mudge or Ms. Smith
`
`for what should be obvious reasons, as it was their inability to be present and handle the case
`
`which lead to the motion in the first place. The attorneys who filed the motion to withdraw are
`
`involved for specific purpose of filing the motion to withdraw.
`
`Kenyon believes that in light of the above, and the argument put forth in its initial brief, it
`
`is clear that its motion is the result of an unfortunate and unpredictable confluence of events, and
`
`not a subterfuge to obtain an extension or reopening of time to which Opposer would not
`
`otherwise be entitled.
`
`B.
`
`Applicant’s Motion to Dismiss is Unreasonable and Should Be Denied
`
`Applicant’s Motion to Dismiss is simply an unreasonable attempt to exploit the
`
`circumstances described above and in Kenyon’s initial brief. Moreover, Applicant’s completely
`
`unsupported assertion of prejudice is belied by its own conduct. Applicant has admitted that it
`
`would have consented to a reasonable extension when first contacted by Kenyon, if the Opposer
`
`agreed to certain conditions having nothing to do with the taking of testimony in this matter, so a
`
`similar extension granted now ought be no more “prejudicial” than it would have been before.
`
`In any event, Opposer should not be prejudiced by its attomey’s medical emergency.
`
`Therefore, should the Board deny Kenyon’s motion to withdraw and suspend proceedings,
`
`Kenyon respectfully requests that the Board at least allow a reasonable amount of time for new
`
`counsel at Kenyon to familiarize itself with the matter and proceed with Opposer’s testimony
`
`period so as not to prejudice Opposer.
`
`

`
`C.
`
`Conclusion
`
`For all of the above reasons, Kenyon respectfully requests that the Board grant the relief
`
`requested in its initial brief, and alternatively, should the Board deny Kenyon’s motion, allow a
`
`reasonable amount of time for new counsel at Kenyon to familiarize itself with the matter and
`
`proceed with Opposer’s testimony period.
`
`KENYON & KENYON LLP
`
`By:
`
` Dated: June3_e, 2006
`
`Edward T. Colbert
`
`Brian S. Mudge
`Susan A. Smith
`
`Michael Kelly
`One Broadway
`New York, New York 10004
`Attorneys for Opposer
`Paris Chocolates, Inc.
`
`

`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that a true copy of this OPPOSER’S REPLY TO APPLICANT’S
`OPPOSITION TO ITS MOTION TO WITHDRAW AND OPPOSER’S OPPOSITION TO
`
`APPLICANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS by mailing the same by first class mail on App1icant’s
`counsel of record:
`
`Howard N. Aronson
`
`Lackenbach Siegel LLP
`One Chase Road
`
`Scarsdale, NY 10583
`
`and
`
`John Paris
`
`Paris Chocolates, Inc.
`P.O. Box 1281
`
`Washington, CT 06793
`
`Miuxkt-3-
`
`'5'-‘—‘”~'—u
`
`I hereby certify that this correspondence is being deposited with the
`United States Postal Service as~tir9t-eiase/express mail in an
`envelope addressed to: Commissioner for Trademarks. P.O. Box
`1451Alexandria. VA 22313-1451 on
`-._l_.n_' '|. Oh T.'|'.A.B.:vFEE'/N0 FEE
`
`‘J
`I
`(V:
`L@L:.L’
`L1
`KNYO 3. KENYON
`
`Signature
`
`
`
`’ :1; me‘.-5 an giisi

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