Practice Areas
- Antitrust/Competition
- Appellate Advocacy
- Class Actions
- Complex Litigation
- Construction
- Insurance Coverage
- Intellectual Property
Education
- University of San Francisco, J.D., 1988; Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Remedies
- University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1983
Bar and Court Admissions
- State Court: California
- U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits
- U.S. District Court: Northern District of California; Central District of California
Past Professional Experience
- Furth, Fahrner & Mason, San Francisco, 1988-2000
Christopher T. Micheletti
Chris handles a variety of litigation matters, particularly in the areas of antitrust, property insurance coverage, intellectual property, business litigation, unfair competition and class actions. Chris' antitrust practice involves representation of individuals and businesses in antitrust actions and antitrust consultation and advice on non-litigation matters. In the property insurance coverage area, Chris has significant litigation experience handling complex matters involving a wide variety of coverage, repair and other issues. In the intellectual property area, he has extensive experience in all aspects of trademark, trade dress and trade secrets litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Chris’ business litigation practice has included representation of plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving business torts, contractual disputes, fiduciary matters, international law, libel, slander, stock option disputes, unfair business practices and unfair competition.
Representative Matters
In re Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) Antitrust Litigation ($41,322,000 settlement on behalf of indirect purchasers of SRAM in multiple states; Zelle Hofmann is lead counsel and Chris led the plaintiffs’ counsel team in the litigation and resolution of this complex, price-fixing antitrust action)
California Smokeless Tobacco Antitrust Litigation ($96,000,000 settlement on behalf of a class of California indirect purchasers of moist smokeless tobacco products; as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, Chris had a central role in litigating and settling this antitrust monopolization claim on behalf of the class)
Adco Group et al. v. Travelers et al. (complex coverage action involving the coordination of multiple lawsuits with over 25 parties, claims of $250 million in construction defects and damage at a luxury resort in Southern California, and involving issues regarding the extent of construction defects, their cause, damage allegedly resulting from the defects and its manifestation, as well as the calculation of the reasonable cost of repairing the property)
Kellogg Co. v. Exxon Mobil Corp. (trademark infringement and dilution action under the Lanham Act, alleging that Exxon's use of its cartoon tiger to promote foods, beverages and convenience stores infringed and diluted Kellogg's famous TONY THE TIGER character)
Articles & Presentations
Class Actions and Other Aggregate Litigation - New Supreme Court Cases on Evidentiary Standards: When do Plaintiffs Need to Prove What, and How Do They Need to Do That? Law Seminars International 9th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, May 13, 2013, co-panelist
Trademark Protection: Best practices for trademark selection, use, maintenance and protection, Law Seminars International Telebriefing, March 6, 2013, moderator and presenter
"False Advertising: Skinny Girl Wriggles Free, While Pom and Arizona Beverages Fizzle," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, February 5, 2013, co-author
"Indirect-Purchaser Exceptions To Illinois Brick Continue," Competition Law360, January 25, 2013, co-author
"'All Natural' False Advertising Claims' Legal Evolution — Part 3," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, November 26, 2012, author
"Why Class Counsel Should Obtain Discovery From Objectors," Competition Law360, November 6, 2012, co-author
"Pinnacle's Limited Impact On California Property Litigation," Insurance Law360, November 2, 2012, co-author
"'All Natural' False Advertising Claims' Legal Evolution — Part 2," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, October 1, 2012, author
"'All Natural' False Advertising Claims Begin Legal Evolution," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, August 27, 2012, author
"Coordinating Direct And Indirect Purchaser Cases," Competition Law360, July 9, 2012, co-author
"Pom Wonderful v. Coca-Cola - Reinforcing Defenses to Label Claim Challenges," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, June 18, 2012, author
"Sometimes, Companies Win False Advertising Lawsuits," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, May 24, 2012, author
"False Advertising Class Action Update," Supermarket News - Refresh Blog, May 3, 2012, author
"Emerging Trends In Indirect-Purchaser Antitrust Cases," Competition Law360, January 20, 2012, co-author
"Challenging Class Action Waivers Post-Concepcion," Competition Law360, September 16, 2011, co-author
"The Scope of Property Insurance Appraisals in California," Insurance Law360, July 7, 2011, co-author
Trademark Protection Basics: Use, Registration, "Policing" and other strategies for In-House Counsel, Outside Corporate Counsel and the General Practitioner, Bar Association of San Francisco seminar, June 1, 2011, presenter
"Case Study: Zhang v. Superior Court," Insurance Law360, February 15, 2011, co-author
"Schleicher And Antitrust Class Certification," Competition Law360, November 5, 2010, co-author
"Case Study: Village Northridge v. State Farm," Insurance Law360, October 7, 2010, co-author
"Shady Grove And State Limits On Competition Claims," Competition Law360, May 19, 2010, co-author
"Disqualification Standards: Party-Selected Appraisers," Insurance Law360, February 8, 2010, author
"Preventing Loss of Trademarks Rights: Quantitative and Qualitative Assessments of “Use” and Their Impact On Abandonment Determinations," Official Journal of the International Trademark Association, 94 Trademark Reporter 634, June 2004
"Proving Dilution By Blurring: An Analysis of Dilution By Blurring Factors Under The Federal Trademark Dilution Act," Official Journal of the International Trademark Association, 92 Trademark Reporter 1345, November 2002
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Editorial Board of the Trademark Reporter Committee, 2002-2003 term, 2004-2005 term, 2006-2007 term, 2010-2011 term, 2012-2013 term
- International Trademark Association
- Bar Association of San Francisco
- - Antitrust and Business Regulation Section
- - Intellectual Property Section
- - Litigation Section
- American Bar Association
- - Antitrust Law Section
Community Service
- Legal Aid Society–Employment Law Center, Member, Board of Directors and Member, Development Committee
Noteworthy
Chris was named a Northern California "Super Lawyer" for 2010 (Business Litigation) by San Francisco magazine.
News
- Third Circuit En Banc Panel Reinstated $295 Million Settlement in Diamonds Antitrust Case
- Corbitt and Micheletti Elected to the Legal Aid Society–Employment Law Center's Board of Directors; Corbitt Also Appointed to Executive Committee
- Zelle Hofmann Announces SRAM Class Action Notice of Settlements
- Zelle Hofmann Announces Summary Notice of Pendency of SRAM Class Action Settlement and Settlement Fairness Hearing
- Preliminary Approval of $25 Million Settlement Granted in SRAM Indirect Purchaser Class Action
- Indirect Purchaser Class Action Against SRAM Manufacturers Certified by California Federal Court
- Court Approves Distribution of $40 Million From Smokeless Tobacco Settlement to Non-Profit Organizations
- Nationwide Settlement Reached in Trans Union Consumer Privacy Class Action
