The Salvo Law Firm In the News

Founding Partner Cindy D. Salvo Interviewed By Fox Business - 12/15/10

Fox Business interviewed Ms. Salvo seeking advice for small business owners faced with trademark infringement litigation.  Ms. Salvo advised business owners to keep the following documents/information handy:  (1) documentation of all of the way the business uses its trademark; (2) itemized expenses showing money spent on implementing and promoting the trademark, such as signage, advertising, printed materials, online presence, etc.; (3) details on the good faith decision to use the business's name; and (4) steps the business took to verify that the trademark was available.

If a business receives a "cease and desist" letter, it should not panic, as there may not be an actual infringement, but it should be sure to turn the letter over to its attorney immediately.

The Salvo Law Firm Wins Huge Victory for Former Manager of The Drifters

July 6, 2009 - Associated Press

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week in favor of Faye Treadwell, who has fought a lengthy battle about the name of the group The Drifters which sang such classics as "Up on the Roof" and "Under the Boardwalk."

The ruling requires New York-based promoter Larry Marshak to provide a full accounting of money he made promoting a version of The Drifters since a 2001 court order enjoined him from infringing on the group's trademark.

That includes hundreds of oldies shows performed between 2002 and 2007 at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas that may have reaped as much as $20,000 per show, according to Cindy Salvo, an attorney representing Treadwell.

"They're pretty much on the hook for whatever happens going forward," Salvo said.  "We'll hire a forensic accountant to go in and let us know how much profit was earned from those shows, and we intend to do everything very aggressively in order to collect."

Marshak's attorney did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Monday.

The Star Ledger

January 26, 2007 and January 25, 2008

Cindy Salvo and The Salvo Law Firm were featured in the Star Ledger on January 26, 2007 and again on January 25, 2008. In the first a rticle, Ms. Salvo explains that she started The Salvo Law Firm (which, at the present time, consists of five women attorneys) because she was tired of the "glass ceiling" that women attorneys traditionally face in larger law firms. After working for large law firms for over 10 years (where only about 15% of the partners are women), Ms. Salvo started a new firm to "make sure women [attorneys] are treated fairly." "I also want to cater to [other] women'owned businesses . . . I really think we need to stick together."

On January 25, 2008, the Star Ledger revisited The Salvo Law Firm in an article discussing the odds facing women attorneys who try to get ahead in larger, more "traditional" law firms. The article stated that "Cindy Salvo . . . opened up a law firm in Roseland after working for a decade in large firms in New York and New Jersey."

Newsday

September 11, 2007

'Drifters' promoter held in contempt

An Essex County judge has found a music promoter in contempt for continuing to use the name of a famous oldies group, the Drifters, in defiance of an 8-year-old court order.

U.S. District Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise in Newark termed Larry Marshak's promotion of an offshoot of The Drifters - The Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters - "an elaborate shell game."

In a decision published Monday, Debevoise held that Marshak, his relatives and business associates violated a 1999 injunction banning the use of the Drifters name "or any other name that would be confusingly similar to the Drifters."

Former Drifters manager Faye Treadwell, who has fought a decades-long legal battle against Marshak, is seeking profits from concerts Marshak promoted under The Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters name, according to attorney Cindy Salvo.

WABC-TV, Eyewitness News

November 28, 2006

Cindy Salvo was interviewed on WABC-TV Eyewitness News on November 28, 2006 concerning her representation of the former manager of the popular 1950's and 1960's musical group, The Drifters, in litigation against the manager/promoter of an alleged "imposter" band calling itself the "Elsbeary Hobbs' Drifters."

Philadelphia Inquirer

November 28, 2006

Celebrities urge N.J. to outlaw impostor acts

By Angela Delli Santi Associated Press TRENTON

Original members of the bands Sha Na Na and the Drifters urged New Jersey lawmakers yesterday to penalize impostors who perform in Atlantic City and elsewhere as members of famous oldies bands. "In a sophisticated form of identity theft, impostor groups are duping consumers and stealing the names, the remuneration and the legacy of the pioneers of rock-and-roll," Jon Bauman, formerly "Bowzer" of Sha Na Na, told legislators. New Jersey is among more than a dozen states considering measures to criminalize impostors' acts. The New Jersey measure would make it a violation of the Consumer Fraud Act for any person to advertise or perform using the name of a famous band without having at least one original member. Fines would range from $10,000 to $20,000 under a bill that cleared the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday and is scheduled for a hearing early next month in the Assembly. Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois all passed similar legislation this year, and North Carolina and South Dakota have weaker versions of the law on their books, said Bob Crosby, president of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, an advocacy group. One of the most exploited musicians, Charlie Thomas of the Drifters, choked back tears as he told the panel that impostors had robbed him financially and cashed in on his fame. "It's a hurtin' thing to come in front of you and ask for help," Thomas said. "This is my lifeline. This is music that I love." The Drifters recorded such hits as "On Broadway," "Up on the Roof" and "Save the Last Dance for Me." Lawyer Cindy Salvo said she would file a contempt motion today in federal court in Newark against a music promoter who was ordered in 1999 to stop using the Drifters' name to promote acts he represents. Salvo, who represents Faye Treadwell, a former Drifters manager and owner of the band's trademark, said the Drifters' name continues to be exploited.

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