University of Hawaii Wins 2012-2013 Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition

The International Trademark Association (INTA) has announced the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law as the winner of its 22nd Annual Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, following the National Finals at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. on March 16.

According to the Association, eighty-seven teams from law schools around the country participated in the competition, in which law students argue a fictional trademark litigation case before a panel of distinguished trademark practitioners. This year’s case Blue Fin Surf Sports, Inc. v. Skyuler Finn Enterprises, LLC, involved the likelihood of confusion and a priority dispute between the BLUE FIN BY LULU mark as used with surfboards and the SKUYLER FINN BLU mark as used with snowboards.

Following regional competitions in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and New York City, eight teams (two from each region) competed in the National Finals, including: Brooklyn Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Georgia State University College of Law, Northwestern University School of Law, University of Alabama School of Law, University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Iowa College of Law and the University of Washington School of Law.

The finalists made their arguments before a panel of judges and interlocutory attorneys from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

“The fact that we have TTAB judges and interlocutory attorneys at the National Finals makes this a unique and high-caliber competition, which gives students valuable insight into trademark law and practice. It is a wonderful stepping stone for their careers,” said Katherine Basile, Partner at Novak Druce Connolly Bove & Quigg LLP and Chair of INTA’s Lefkowitz Competition Committee.

First time national competitors Shirley Lou, Andrea S. Maglasang, Avery C. Matro and Nikki Yamauchi from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law took first place, as well as Best Oralist team and went home with $4,000 in prize money.

The winners of the 2013 National Finals are:

The competition, organized by INTA volunteers, is named in honor of the late Saul Lefkowitz, who served on the TTAB of the USPTO for over 30 years. He is remembered as a dedicated mentor to young practitioners, fostering their understanding of trademark law and practice during his time at Finnegan Henderson in Washington, D.C.

“The Lefkowitz competition plays a significant role in shaping the next generation of trademark professionals; based on the skills and passion we have seen throughout the competition, our industry’s future looks very bright,” said Chris Foley, the National Finals Coordinator, and Partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP.

Next year’s Lefkowitz competition will begin in February 2014 and will introduce a new fifth regional competition in Dallas, Texas.

Founded in 1878, the International Trademark Association (INTA) is a worldwide association of member companies and firms that support the advancement of trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce. Members include more than 6,200 trademark owners, legal professionals and academics from more than 190 countries, who benefit from the Association’s global trademark research, policy development, education and training, and international network. Headquartered in New York City, INTA also has offices in Shanghai, Brussels and Washington, D.C., and representatives in Geneva and Mumbai.

3.3 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Part of the Big Island Early Easter Morning

Magnitude	3.3
Date-Time	Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 03:07:42 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	18.798°N, 156.801°W
Depth	35.3 km (21.9 miles)
Region	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
Distances	114 km (71 miles) WSW (253°) from Hawaiian Ocean View, HI 120 km (75 miles) SW (233°) from Honaunau-Napoopoo, HI 122 km (76 miles) SW (231°) from Captain Cook, HI 133 km (82 miles) SW (219°) from Kalaoa, HI 206 km (128 miles) WSW (241°) from Hilo, HI 299 km (186 miles) SSE (159°) from Honolulu, HI
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 2.4 km (1.5 miles); depth +/- 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
Parameters	Nph= 23, Dmin=111 km, Rmss=0.11 sec, Gp=320°, M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=4
Source	U.S. Geological Survey, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Hawaii National Park, Hawaii
Event ID	hv60484696

 

Two Skydiving Records Set at Skydive Hawaii on Saturday – Tandem HALO Jumps Available to Public

Yesterday, on the North Shore of Oahu at Dillingham Airfield, KITV News Reporter Andrew Pereira and I participated in setting two Hawaii State skydiving records at Skydive Hawaii.

Andrew and I get ready for the jump of our lives

The first record was for the “highest altitude tandem “HALO” jump” leaping from the plane at over 4 miles in space at 22,000 feet.  HALO stands  for “High Altitude Low Opening” and one of the more famous HALO jumps took place recently when RedBull Skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped from 24 miles from space or approximately 128,000 in altitude.

Some folks may remember the first time I set the Hawaii Tandem Halo Jump when I jumped from 21,000 feet back on December 11th of 2011, as Frank T.K. Hinshaw stated the first time I jumped… every extra 1,000 feet in altitude makes the risks and the danger just that much more.

The second record set yesterday was for the “altitude and wingsuit flight time record for Hawaii of 22,000ft & 4 minutes 37 seconds in flight time,” set by Hinshaw himself.

Frank T.K. Hinshaw on the far right in his wing suit

Here is a short video of me interviewing Andrew Pereira shortly before we went up and as you can tell… he was pretty nervous about what he was about to do as this was his first time skydiving, less yet doing a HALO jump.

After we were instructed on what we were to do and equipped with oxygen tanks, we traversed out to the airplane where we would have no chance of turning back once we got on that plane.

Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez, Damon Tucker, Andrew Pereira and “Papa Dop” get ready to board the plane. Photo Skydive Hawaii

When we were close to 22,000 feet in altitude, “Nacho” Martinez posted the following picture to Facebook and said “Took off on load one and saw a huge school of dolphins. Then went up on the next load and saw 6 whales. Now breathing pure oxygen while climbing to 22,000 ft. How could you not love Skydive Hawaii!?”

At 12,000 feet we donned oxygen masks as the air gets thinner the higher you go.

Here is a quick clip of the freefall part of my jump from 22,000 feet:

I free falled for about a minute until my tandem instructor Martinez pulled the chute at about 5,000 feet from the ground and then glided smoothly in for a stand-up landing.  I even got to steer the parachute myself for about 30 seconds and that was super cool!

I spy VH07V

Once again I can say it was cold… but it wasn’t near as cold as the first time I did the HALO.  Ever since I did the first HALO jump, they have offered this experience to the public as well… of course it costs a lot more then the regularly advertised jumps and I suggest you contact Skydive Hawaii directly at (808) 637-9700 or (808) 945-0222 if you or a group of folks are interested in doing this.

My view from 22,000 feet as we were about to jump from the plane

Here is the video of the second record that was broken… as T.K. said though “Set a new altitude and wingsuit flight time record for Hawaii today: 22,000ft & 4 minutes 37 seconds. . . not bad for not knowing I was going to go for the attempt until this morning. If I had inflight oxygen & gloves, I think I could get 6 minutes easy.”

I’d like to say thanks to Skydive Hawaii for giving Andrew and I this opportunity and to T.K.’s father Frank (Sr.) and the Hinshaw family for running such a great operation out on the North Shore.  They bring in a lot of tax dollars from the tourism industry and you know how much our islands depend on tourists having a good time and wanting to come back to Hawaii.

Hawaii State Legislators Honor Fallen Service Members

Hawaii state legislators gathered at the capitol here March 27 to present the Hawaii Medal of Honor to 19 families of Hawaii-born or -based service members who were killed in combat over the past year.

Left to right: Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Justin Neal, House Speaker Joseph M. Souki and Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong, adjutant general of the Hawaii National Guard, pose for a photo during the Hawaii State Medal of Honor ceremony held at the capitol in Honolulu, March 27, 2013. Neal accepted the medal on behalf of his friend and colleague Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nicholas S. Johnson. This year 19 fallen service members posthumously received the HMOH from the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth

“We do this, a public ceremony, because we wish to express in more than just a symbolic way what it is we regard as most fundamental to recognition of what it takes to enable us to be a free people,” Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said at the ceremony. “Why are we in such a solemn regard? It’s because we understand that in ceremonies such as this we are engaged in a public expression in what constitutes our fundamental values.”

The families of ten soldiers and nine Marines were presented the medal, which has been given at the Hawaii state capitol since House Bill 8, designated as Act 21, Session Laws of Hawaii of 2005 was passed. According to the bill’s language, “The purpose of this Act is to provide for a Hawaii Medal of Honor that would help express the deep appreciation and gratitude of the People of Hawaii to the loved ones of members of the military who sacrificed their lives in defense of our nation and its freedoms.”

Jennifer Riddick looks on as her daughter wipes away tears during the Hawaii State Medal of Honor presentation ceremony held at the state capitol in Honolulu, March 27, 2013. Jennifer and her daughter received the HMOH in honor of fallen Marine Corps Master Sgt. Travis W. Riddick who was killed in action after a helicopter accident in Afghanistan. This year 19 fallen service members posthumously received the HMOH from the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth

Prior to presenting the medal to the family members, Hawaii National Guard Adjutant General Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong expressed his gratitude to the family members and fellow service members in attendance.

“There is no honor higher that our state can bestow upon a member of our armed forces than the Hawaii Medal of Honor,” Wong said. “This is not an honor we bestow with joy, but rather we do so with heavy hearts and solemn resolve.

“Collectively, as a state, we have made it our mission to express our deepest appreciation to these brave men and women,” he continued. “We resolve to ensure the families of our service members shall always be a part of our Hawaiian Ohana, and that the ultimate sacrifice made by their loved ones will always be remembered.”  In Hawaiian culture Ohana means family, and Wong’s usage of the word connotes extended family.

Among those honored at the ceremony were six Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, who were killed in action in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. As each of the fallen were mentioned, a family member or friend received the medal and a certificate in addition to the appreciation of the state of Hawaii, whether they grew up here or were stationed here.

Click photo for screen-resolution image The families of 10 soldiers and nine Marines received the Hawaii State Medal of Honor (pictured) during a ceremony at the state capitol in Honolulu, March 27, 2013. The passage of Hawaii House Bill 8, designated as Act 21, Session Laws of Hawaii of 2005, established the medal. According to the bill’s language, “The purpose of this Act is to provide for a Hawaii Medal of Honor that would help express the deep appreciation and gratitude of the People of Hawaii to the loved ones of members of the military who sacrificed their lives in defense of our nation and its freedoms.” DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth

Hawaii state legislature Rep. K. Mark Takai, Chairman of the Committee on Veterans, Military and International Affairs, stressed the significance of this program.

“In 2005, when we first passed this legislation, I just don’t think we understood how important this was going to be, not only to the families, but more importantly to the people of Hawaii,” said Takai, who also serves as a commissioned officer in the Hawaii Army National Guard.

Takai also highlighted the significant role the U.S. military plays in Hawaii.

“The military has been such an important part of our history,” he said. “Even pre-dating the start of World War II, the military has played a pivotal role in our state’s history. We are a unique state because of everybody coming together, including the military families, so we pay particular attention to our military.”

Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryll D.M. Wong, adjutant general of the Hawaii National Guard, provides remarks during the Hawaii State Medal of Honor ceremony held at the capitol in Honolulu, March 27, 2013. This year 19 fallen service members posthumously received the HMOH from the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth

This is the eighth year that the Hawaii state legislature has honored people with Hawaii ties that died in wars overseas.