Nuala Droney is an associate in the firm's Litigation Section. Ms. Droney focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. She represents diverse clients in cases involving allegations of antitrust violations, patent infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair trade practices, trademark violations, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, and other business torts.
For the past two years, Ms. Droney has been named a Rising Star in Connecticut Super Lawyers® in the area of Business Litigation (Super Lawyers is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.).
Ms. Droney's diverse federal practice has included the prosecution and defense of a multipatent infringement action in the Eastern District of Texas for a worldwide supplier of gas generation systems and the prosecution of a patent infringement action for a major integrated supplier based on an Internet procurement method patent. Ms. Droney is currently representing a print industry manufacturer in a complex federal action involving federal and state antitrust claims, patent-related claims, and allegations of fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and computer crimes. Recent successes include the securing of permanent injunctions against multiple defendants to protect a client against trademark violations, a preliminary injunction based on the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) after a multiday evidentiary hearing, and the dismissal of a complex federal action at summary judgment based on the Noerr-Pennington doctrine.
In addition to her civil litigation practice, Ms. Droney also maintains a criminal practice. Ms. Droney represents clients in government and internal investigations. As a member of the United States District Court, District of Connecticut's Criminal Justice Act Training Panel, she represents indigent clients before the District Court's federal judges in actions brought by the United States Attorney's Office.
Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Droney served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alfred V. Covello, United States District Judge, District of Connecticut.
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, 2005 to present
- Massachusetts Bar Association, 2005 to present
- Connecticut Bar Association, 2007 to present
- Hartford County Bar Association, 2007 to present
Community Involvement
- Criminal Justice Act Training Panel, United States District Court, District of Connecticut
Honors and Awards
- Listed as a Rising Star in Connecticut Super Lawyers® in the area of Business Litigation since 2010 (Super Lawyers is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.)
Experience
- Representation of a manufacturer of pre-press equipment and software for the graphic arts industry in defense against computer crimes and spoliation of evidence claims. Representation has included engaging computer forensic specialists, participation in depositions touching on issues of spoliation and electronic evidence, and briefing on related legal issues.
Intellectual Property Litigation
- Obtained dismissal for client of federal court action for breach of contract, quantum meruit intentional interference with prospective contractual relations, misrepresentation, and declaratory judgment. Court granted motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Complex Litigation
- Represented client in four-day preliminary injunction hearing in United States District Court, District of Connecticut, in case involving Connecticut Franchise Act, breach of contract, Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, and tortious interference with contractual relations.
- Won preliminary injunction for client under Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act after three-day evidentiary hearing.
- Represented client in multiday bench trial in construction-related dispute involving allegations of breach of contract and Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act violation.
- Obtained summary judgment in complex federal action based on Noerr-Pennington doctrine.
Intellectual Property Litigation
- Prosecution and defense of patent infringement action in the Eastern District of Texas for a worldwide supplier of gas generation systems regarding multiple patents in the coal mine firefighting industry.
- Prosecution of a patent infringement action for a major wholesaler/integrated supplier in relation to our client's Internet procurement method patent.
Criminal Litigation
- Represented corporate officer during all stages of criminal investigation and federal prosecution by United States Attorney's Office. Argued for and obtained non-United States Sentencing Guidelines and nonjail sentence for corporate officer.
- Represented Criminal Justice Act client through all stages of federal prosecution by United States Attorney's Office. Obtained favorable mandatory minimum sentence for client after briefing and oral argument on crack-to-powder disparity under United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Publications & Presentations
Legal Update/Newsletters
- Supreme Court Upholds Congressional Right to Change Copyright Protection (January 2012)
- Patent Reform Becomes Law: Highlights of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (September 2011)
- Former In-House Counsel Acquitted In Federal Prosecution (May 2011)
- Feds Target In-House Lawyer (February 2011)
News
2.24.12, Hartford Heartbreakers Cycle for Cancer Research
8.24.10, Community Dedication Honored and Summer Associates Return to School