Quote Originally Posted by Denzark View Post
Winston and Strawn believe what most lawyers believe - that they may be able to make some money - the thing for which any normal lawyer would eat the content of their own jakes.
I work very hard to take your posts seriously Denzark, but you are so far off base here that it is amazing. This isn't a class action suit. Chapterhouse Studios is not the plaintiff. It has no counter claims against Games Workshop. Even if it made counter claims, damages would top out in the barest of six figures, if they were upheld. Chapterhouse Studios would not be awarded attorney's fees unless it filed counter claims, won on them, and won on claims of willfulness. The money at stake in this case wouldn't tempt anything above an ambulance chaser begging for work.

Winston and Strawn could care less about money. This case is not about money to them. They are not trying to run up wild attorney's fees and collect a fat check. Winston and Strawn and Ms. Golinveaux probably have some self-interest in taking this case. It could be that the IP department is due for some pro-bono work, or maybe Ms. Golinveaux would like her name attached to an influential ruling, maybe somebody's son loves 40K, or maybe they think the case would be good experience. But in no way is this case about money to them.

Winston and Strawn can pick and chose what pro-bono work the firm does and when. Aside from any personal motivations, this case must present both interesting questions of law and successful prospects for it to have even been considered by Winston and Strawn. Approval for this thing had to go through committee review of some kind. It probably had to be recommended to the firm by reputable contacts in the legal field. Ms. Golinveaux had to sit down and read through all of the extant documents, discuss the matter with Chapterhouse, investigate the legal questions, and then decide if she wanted to submit the case for pro-bono approval, probably without knowing if she was going to get it.

These things are public record Denzark. This case is going to be inexorably attached to the name of Jennifer Golinvaux and Winston and Strawn forever. Neither the firm, nor Ms. Golinveaux are going to piss on their reputation by doing pro-bono work on a trashy case or for a disreputable client. If Winston and Strawn wants to make money, it can have Ms. Golinveaux bill hours in what must be an extensive book of business replete with affluent and often-sued clients like Google and Cisco Systems.

You can spout whatever you want to about this case and the parties involved. None of your vitriol changes the facts. Winston and Strawn agreed to take the case pro bono publico "for the public good." Ms. Golinveaux's time is worth far more than the value of this case. Going to trial is both extremely expensive and extremely risky for Games Workshop. Chapterhouse Studios is not constrained by money and going to trial involves comparatively little risk. Games Workshop must now settle out of court on Chapterhouse's terms or face an inevitable trial.