Lavely & Singer - Attorneys-Bios

CESIE C. ALVAREZ , (Associate)

Education:

* Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York, J.D. – 2016;
University of California, Berkeley, California B.A.

BAR ADMISSIONS:

* California, 2024; New York, 2017

HONORS & AWARDS

* Best Lawyers in America: ONES TO WATCH™, Recognized in Communications Law, Entertainment and Sports Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Litigation – Intellectual Property (2021-2024); Super Lawyers: New York Metro Rising Star (2020-2023); Pro Bono Publico Award, Legal Aid Society (2017, 2021)

BIOGRAPHY:

* Cesie Alvarez concentrates her practice on intellectual property and complex litigation in the media, entertainment, and new technology sectors. She has represented clients in copyright, DMCA, trademark, trade dress, right of publicity, contract, and defamation litigations. Her clients have included entertainers, artists, creators, and entertainment and media corporations in high-stakes disputes. Cesie received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley where she majored in Psychology and Legal Studies. She received her Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School. Prior to joining Lavely & Singer, Cesie worked in a large, international law firm where her practice concentrated on copyright infringement litigation.

Representative Cases:

* Represented artists in a highly publicized trial on their trade dress and misappropriation claims against billion-dollar toy corporation, MGA Entertainment, Inc.

* Defended media company in a multi-billion dollar case that the New York Times said was “one of the most consequential First Amendment cases in a generation.

* Secured the dismissal of key copyright and trademark infringement claims brought by Roblox Corporation on behalf of a well-known toy and robotics company.

* Defended four separate internet and media corporations against claims of secondary copyright infringement brought by the nation’s top record companies and music publishers.

* Member of case team responsible for securing important wins for website that provided access to a large collection of historic concert recordings in a copyright infringement case brought by the nation’s top music publishers.

* Represented a multinational toy and board game company and its subsidiary in a putative class action alleging breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and negligence. Obtained dismissal of all claims on a motion to dismiss.

* Assisted with successfully defending a copyright infringement summary judgment decision in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on behalf of a collector of concert memorabilia.

* Secured favorable settlement on behalf of Texas real estate giant in their claims of direct copyright infringement against competing real estate company.