U Magazine, Winter 1987

law also do patents, but we don't ." Simply put, it's a business decision. They are attempting to carve their own niche in the world of law. They don't botherwith patent law because trademark law, in their legal opinion, is more significant, more compelling, in the eyes of the law. Ask Hawkins to explain this , and he will launch into an extensive lecture, laced largely with legalese. Throughout he will remain intense. Ironically, neither one of them took an intellectual property law course while at USD, where it is offered as an elective. "I never heard of intellectual property law until Washington, " says Judy Nevertheless, they have fond memories ofUSD and remain closely tied to it. Besides his brother, J.P., a second brother, Brian, is attendingUSD and their sister, Therese '73 , is a USD graduate. Judy and Chris are active alumni. 'Tm interested in what's happening with the law school," says Judy, "and I'm interested in what other alums are doing." "USD did well for me ," Chris adds. "Some day I want to give something back." The Hawkinses already have begun to do so. They have hosted two alumni recep– tions for the lawschool, the latest held last January at their San Francisco office. Their office is located in a two-story penthouse on the 10th floor of a building in the heart of the financial district. An impressive spiral staircase connects the office floors . Chris's private office over– looks their furnished rooftop patio. The office is elegantly furnished, contrasting with their modest, but spacious two-bedroom apartment. They live in the bedroom community of Green– brae, about seven miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The most prominent feature of their home is a sparkling white baby grand piano, which they both play, and their balcony view. Their third-story apartment overlooks a meandering waterway dotted with rowboats and other small vessels at the foothills of a small, lush mountain ridge. Often they take the Larkspur Ferry to work, where they appear to spend more time than home. Their friends have suggested they put a bedroom in their office because they spend so much time there . The office already has a bathroom with a shower and some kitchen facilities. Because of their legal specialty, they have found themselves working more and more with the entertainment industry. Recently, they represented Jerry Gold– stein, a Los Angeles record producer who

The Hawkinses also take on consider– able trademark infringement work for manufacturers victimized by counter– feiters . They have represented Nexus , Polo, Chanel, Rolex and other manufac– turers. Shampoos. perfumes and T-shirts are among the products counterfeited. Pirates tend to sell counterfeit products to discount stores, which often explains how consumers can obtai_n certain name brand products at considerable discounts, Judy notes. "We've been in litigation with Long's Drugs and discount chains like them. " Product counterfeiting is a widespread problem, she says, because wholesale buyers often know they are purchasing bogus products and consumers usually cannot tell if they are purchasing the real thing. To illustrate the problem, Chris and Judy have filled a glass enclosed bookcase on the second floor of their office with counterfeit products alongside the real ones. Bikoff, their partner, handles the bulk of the counterfeit cases. He is a former president of the International Anti-Coun– terfeiting Coalition. In addition to their partner, the Haw– kinses have one associate attorney and one attorney who works for them as an independent contractor. Since hanging their shingle two-and-a– halfyears ago , they have tripled their case– load to about 150 cases, according to Judy. If business slows, don't be surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins dabbling in some new venture. Did you hear the one about the giant 175-pound plastic wine bag that was spirited away from a San Diego billboard? Seems last summer several thieves made off with a Boda-Pac that was attached to a billboard along Interstate 5 in Sorrento Valley. It was the first three– dimensional billboard art to be carried in San Diego. On the outdoor ad, above where the missing bag once was. was this headline: ANewWay to Enjoy Fine Wine. •

retained Chris to do battle over the trademark for rock group, "War."

The legal dispute started when former members of "War" started a new band under the same name, Hawkins explains . Goldstein claims the name belongs to him.

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