Violetta Watson is a senior associate in the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department, and a member of the Business Trial Group and the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. She joined the firm in 2006.
Practice
Ms. Watson has a civil litigation practice focused on complex commercial and intellectual property matters. Ms. Watson has represented a variety of US and foreign clients, including companies in the media, finance, pharmaceutical, and beverage industries. She has handled matters at the trial and appellate levels, before federal and state courts, and in arbitration.
While in law school, Ms. Watson served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Barry T. Albin of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Ms. Watson also held a summer position at Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Recent Highlights
- Currently prosecuting patent infringement action on behalf of major biopharmaceutical company in US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Abbott GmbH & Co., KG et al. v. Centocor Ortho Biotech, Inc. et al., Case No. 4:09-cv-11340)
- Currently representing company in state court class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of retirement products
- Successfully defended and obtained substantial attorneys’ fees award for prominent molecular diagnostics company in international (ICDR) arbitration involving cross-licensing agreement dispute (award confirmed in S.D.N.Y., Qiagen Gaithersburg, Inc. v. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, et al., Case No. 09 Civ. 7326)
- Represented media company defendants in patent infringement suit in US District Court for the District of Texas (Beneficial Innovations Inc. v. AOL LLC et al., Case No. 2:07-cv-555)
- Prosecuted Lanham Act false advertising action on behalf of beverage company in US District Court for the Southern District of New York (Russian Standard Vodka (USA), Inc. et al. v. Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine USA, Inc., et al., Case No. 06. Civ. 09915)
- Successfully defended leading pharmaceutical company in several vaccine-related products liability matters, defeating appeal in the Fifth Circuit and obtaining summary judgment in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Advised national credit card lender threatened with litigation alleging violations of Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Successfully tried pro bono contested divorce and custody matter in New York state court, regaining and modifying custody of four children forcibly separated from their mother for over a year, and obtaining and enforcing a favorable financial award (G.K. v. L.K., Case No. XX/10, 20 Misc. 3d 1138A (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 15, 2008); G.K. v. L.K., Case No. XX/10, 2010 WL 3153960 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. July 8, 2010); G.K. v. L.K., Case No. XX/10, 2010 WL 2553886 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. May 17, 2010)).
Honors and Awards
Ms. Watson received the 2008 Sanctuary for Families’ “Above and Beyond” Pro Bono Achievement Award, in recognition of her pro bono advocacy on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children.
Ms. Watson received the New York State Bar Association’s honorary designation of Empire State Counsel in 2009 and 2010, in recognition of her pro bono work.
Professional Activities
Ms. Watson is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
