Coach IP Holdings, LLC v. ACS Group Acquisition LLC
- Lorna Schofield
- 1:23-cv-10612
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Coach IP Holdings v. ACS Group Acquisition, Judge Schofield ordered Case-Mate’s lawyers at Debevoise & Plimpton to withdraw because their continued appearance would require her recusal.
Case-Mate, Inc., Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, its individual attorneys, and the court. The order required the firm to withdraw and the Clerk to remove its attorneys’ appearances as Case-Mate’s counsel in this action.
What happened
Coach IP Holdings, LLC v. ACS Group Acquisition LLC is one of three related lawsuits involving claims against Case-Mate, Inc. concerning its replacement of Vinci Brands LLC as licensee for certain Coach and Kate Spade products.
On May 9, 2024, attorneys from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP appeared for Case-Mate in this lawsuit and the two related lawsuits. The court noted that the cases involved substantially similar parties and legal issues, and that the parties—including Case-Mate—had actively litigated one related lawsuit.
The court ordered Debevoise & Plimpton to withdraw from this lawsuit and directed the Clerk to remove its individual attorneys’ appearances as counsel for Case-Mate. Judge Lorna G. Schofield stated that the firm’s continued appearance would require her to step aside because her impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
The detailed version
- Coach IP Holdings, LLC v. ACS Group Acquisition LLC · No. 1:23-cv-10612
- Lorna Schofield
- May 13, 2024
Background
This order concerns Case-Mate, Inc.’s representation in three related lawsuits: this action, Vinci Brands LLC v. Coach Services, Inc., No. 23 Civ. 5138 (LGS), and Kate Spade LLC v. Vinci Brands LLC, No. 23 Civ. 5409 (LGS). The actions include claims against Case-Mate involving its replacement of Vinci Brands LLC as licensee for certain Coach and Kate Spade products. The court stated that the actions involved substantially similar parties and legal issues.
The court also noted that the parties, including Case-Mate, had actively litigated the action numbered 23 Civ. 5138, which had 365 docket entries since June 16, 2023.
Court’s Reasoning
Federal law requires a judge to step aside from a proceeding when the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned. The court concluded that Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s continued appearance in this action would require the court’s recusal. The court further stated that the circumstances requiring withdrawal were known, or should have been known, to the firm when it was retained.
Ruling
The court ordered Debevoise & Plimpton LLP to withdraw its appearance in this matter. It also directed the Clerk of Court to strike the appearances of the individual Debevoise attorneys as counsel of record for Case-Mate. The order addressed counsel’s appearance and judicial recusal; it did not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.