Hal Litchford

Hal K. Litchford, shareholder in the Firm’s Orlando office, devotes his practice primarily to the litigation, trial and appeal of antitrust, trade regulation and other significant business-related disputes, including class actions.

Mr. Litchford’s broad experience includes antitrust and trade regulation matters, non-compete and trade secret law and intellectual property law, among other areas. As a result of his extensive courtroom experience, he also has a related counseling practice.

Mr. Litchford’s antitrust and business litigation experience created opportunities to represent motor vehicle manufacturers in their dealer network relationships. For more than 20 years, he has represented a manufacturer in all aspects of its relationships with its dealers and dealer network, including litigation, administrative practice and hearings and extensive counseling. This representation has also involved exporting and other distribution issues, both domestic and international.

Mr. Litchford is a well-known participant in bar activities. He has served as chair of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, chair of the Statewide Fee Arbitration Committee, and is serving his second term on the Certification Committee of The Florida Bar for Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law. He has also served on the Appellate Rules committee as well as the ad hoc Committee that drafted the standards for intellectual property certification in Florida.

Since 1980, Mr. Litchford has been in private practice in Orlando and was one of the founding shareholders of Litchford & Christopher. Prior to coming to central Florida, he worked in the antitrust department of Howrey & Simon in Washington, D.C.

He is an accomplished author and presenter on the topics of antitrust and civil litigation, and frequently presents continuing legal education seminars across the state.

EDUCATION:

• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1978
• Vanderbilt University, B.S., 1975, cum laude

ADMISSIONS:

• District of Columbia, 1978
• Florida, 1979
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1980
• U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of Florida, 1981
• U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2000

Representative Matters : Obtained permanent injunction in federal court against competitor of client that designed a sophisticated scheme to prey on client’s market recognition and goodwill for an important dietary supplement brand. Our client, an over-the-counter brand manufacturer, recently acquired several established health care brands. During due diligence, we identified the scheme and filed an action in U.S. District Court for trademark and trade dress infringement and false labeling. To settle the lawsuit, the defendants agreed to a permanent injunction against infringement, abandoned all markets for the competing product, assigned any rights to their infringing marks to our client and paid a confidential but substantial sum to cover our client’s attorneys’ fees.

Professional Honors & Activities:

• Named the Best Lawyers’ 2012 and 2015 Orlando Antitrust Law “Lawyer of the Year”
• American Bar Association (Antitrust and Litigation Sections)
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Board certified in Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law by The Florida Bar
• Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association
• Commercial Pilot ASMEL and CFI