While a partner at Fox Rothschild, Lincoln Bandlow(Opens in a new window) has become a bit of a sensation at Above the Law. He represents the extremely litigious(Opens in a new window) porn studio, Strike 3 Holdings, and has filed hundreds of copyright infringement cases on behalf of that client.
The cases, largely filed against John Doe downloaders as part of what’s been described as a file-and-settle strategy, have come under fire from judges. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia said Strike 3 “treats this court not as a citadel of justice, but as an ATM.”(Opens in a new window) In California, another judge sanctioned Bandlow $750 for missing deadlines in numerous copyright cases (Opens in a new window)calling his actions “willful disobedience”(Opens in a new window) of the court.
Despite the somewhat unsavory nature of Strike 3’s business and their litigation strategy — one judge called the company a “copyright troll” — Bandlow has defended the representation, in an interview with ALM,(Opens in a new window) saying, “It’s good content, and a quality company that pays its employees well.”
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Now, as reported by(Opens in a new window) Law.com, Bandlow and the Am Law 100 firm have parted ways. Bandlow is taking the porn studio with him as a client, and he’s opened his own firm, The Law Offices of Lincoln Bandlow, and that is currently listed as the firm of record on 40 Strike 3 cases. Other Fox Rothschild attorneys who worked with Bandlow on Strike 3 cases have filed motions to withdraw as counsel.
Neither the Biglaw firm nor Bandlow have commented on the move, or whether the notorious representation precipitated it.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast.(Opens in a new window) AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1(Opens in a new window)).