Sonny Chastain is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2000 and practices in the commercial litigation, consumer finance litigation, and intellectual property areas. Sonny has represented clients in various commercial disputes involving such areas as truth in lending, unfair competition, antitrust/RICO, non-compete agreements, employment contracts/discrimination, arbitration agreements, software leases, investment suitability/broker relations etc. He has also represented clients in various IP and technology matters including registration, litigation, negotiations and transfers of trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. He regularly advises clients regarding brand management issues, namely regarding obtaining and maintaining protection in trademarks and trade secrets and copyrights.

Representative Experience

• Representation of major financial institution before United States Fifth Circuit in a case affirming a district court ruling by enforcing an arbitration agreement signed by a borrower as part of a loan transaction and sale of credit insurance. The Kean Miller team convinced the Court that the McCarran-Ferguson Act did not reverse preempt the FAA; the borrowers were not entitled to a trial by jury; and the agreement was not unenforceable due to the alleged high costs of arbitration.
• Representation of designer/manufacturer of works of art in copyright infringement and unfair competition action in United States District Court.
• Representation of automobile dealership before United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in defending class action suit alleging truth in lending violations and consumer fraud.
• Representation of shoe manufacture/distributor in defending trademark and unfair competition claims based on sales utilizing the Internet.
• Representation of a large industrial company in defending claims of conversion, misappropriation of trade secrets involving project control system software.
• Representation of numerous clients including restaurants, manufacturers/distributors, retailers, etc. in prosecuting trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and instituted opposition proceeding before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Education

Sonny earned his B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1986 in Finance and his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1989. He then served as a Law Clerk to the Hon. Frank J. Polozola, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana.

Admissions

• Admitted to bar, 1989, Louisiana
• Admitted, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana
• Admitted, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1992
• Admitted, United States Supreme Court, 2003

Memberships

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana State (Intellectual Property Section), American (Intellectual Property Section) Bar Associations.
• Wex S. Malone American Inn of Court.

Articles, Publications and Presentations

Business Notes, March 2005
Commercial Litigation in Louisiana: 7 Practical Tips
Business Notes, January 2004
Business Notes, October 2004
Business Notes, December 2005
Louisiana Supreme Court Addresses Arbitration Agreements
Business Notes, February 2006
Business Notes, February 2007

Lecturer

• Legal Issues Involving the Internet, presentation to the Baton Rouge Bar Association, Continuing Education.
• Intellectual Property Overview, Southern University Recent Developments Seminar.
• Fear Factor: How to Deal with Intellectual Property Issues, Baton Rouge Bench Bar Conference.

Community Service

• Board of Directors, Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
• Board of Directors, Baton Rouge Community College.
  
• Former member, Board of Directors, Brothers of the Sacred Heart Foundation.
• Former member, Board of Directors, Volunteer Baton Rouge.
• Member, Catholic High School Alumni Association.
• Member, Sigma Chi Fraternity Alumni Association.
• St. Aloysius Church Chorale and Finance Committee.
• Baton Rouge Business Report's "40 Under 40" (1999).