We’ve often wondered what major firms do with Las Vegas offices. Usually, we figure it’s just an outpost used as a pretext for wining and dining clients in Sin City.
Greenberg Traurig is one of the largest firms with an office there, and they’re actually doing substantive work.
They’ve been busy protecting the trademarks of a famous poker player and the best publishing house in the poker industry.
Details after the jump, including one defendant with a very interesting legal background.
Mark Tratos (UNLV BA ‘74, Lewis & Clark JD ‘79), managing shareholder of the office, and associates Tyler Andrews and Shauna Welsh filed of Greenberg Traurig Las Vegas filed a pair of complaints on behalf of client Two Plus Two Publishing. The complaints were filed separately against Anthony Scocozza and Jacknames.com and Russell Aaron “Dutch” Boyd.
2+2 publishes books, magazines, and newsletters about poker (two absolute essentials are the Harrington on Hold ‘Em series and David Sklansky’s The Theory of Poker). The company also hosts, in our humble opinion, far and away the best public forum for poker strategy.
The site and various 2+2 trademarks are owned by Mason Malmuth, a poker player and statistician who is also a prodigious author on the subject.
According to the lawsuits, Scocozza and Boyd registered internet domains using the marks. The Las Vegas Sun got the defendants to respond. Scocozza simply said he had nothing to do with the website at issue.
Boyd is a more-colorful character and gave a more-colorful response.
Boyd responded to the lawsuit with this e-mailed statement: “It is never fun to be sued, especially by someone you look up to and respect professionally.”
“Mason Malmuth is a genius poker theorist and poker author and his books are largely responsible for much of my own success in poker, including my World Series of Poker bracelet.
“Personally, however, Mason has shown over and over that he is a bully and willing to outspend his perceived adversaries into submission.
“The lawsuit he is bringing against me is based on a domain name that he currently owns: `twoplustwopoker.com.’ It is without merit and is designed to encourage me to pay him off or face a substantial legal bill defending myself against it.
“Unfortunately, the strategy will work, and he will be successful in wasting both of our time and money as well as the Nevada taxpayers’ money. The only people who will be coming out ahead in this game is Mr. Malmuth’s overpriced attorneys.”
Even casual poker fans may recognize the name. Boyd got an inordinate amount of coverage during the 2003 World Series of Poker main event (the year Moneymaker won). He made a deep run, finishing just outside the final table, then got even more coverage the next year with “The Crew” – a group of then-young up-and-coming players including Scott Fischman and Brett Jungblut, who won bracelets that year. Boyd himself later won a bracelet by beating 2004 world champ Joe Hachem heads up for the 2006 $2,500 short-handed no-limit hold ‘em bracelet. That was worth $475,712, and he has lifetime tournament winnings of over $1.5 million.
But what we’re really curious to see is if Boyd will be representing himself in this suit – he’s the self-described “2nd youngest law school graduate ever.” He also claims to have scored a 165 on the LSAT at age 14, which got him into law school at the University of Missouri, from which he graduated at age 18.
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Before reading this blog i was fully in dark about poker. good blog.
Just wanted to let you know that I actually did file an answer with some counterclaims is this lawsuit… in pro se ftw.
Yo Boyd – great answer. This is a great story. Keep us all informed!!!