Renwood Group, Lender Spar Over Canceled Trademarks, License Deals

While TLA and Renwood Group (the parent company of Renwood Winery and Renwood Vineyard Properties) have crossed swords for months over the production of documents by both sides, court documents indicate that TLA’s request for a court-appointed trustee grew most urgent when it says it suspected that all three Renwood companies “were engaging in a scheme to move the Winery’s assets out of reach of creditors in a ‘bust out’ type of scheme.”

Renwood Group has vigorously disputed that claim in its court filings.

“Renwood Winery’s use of the trademark is not in jeopardy, said winery President Smerling who categorized the lender’s legal actions as, “an attempt by TLA to delay the reorganization plan of Renwood Group.”

RENWOOD CANCELED ITS OWN TRADEMARKS IN APRIL

TLA’s court documents say that it “learned through counsel that Renwood Winery had petitioned to cancel its valuable Trademarks in the ‘Renwood ‘ name and its bird logo on April 26, 2010, just 5 days after Newport Seashore Trust, Group’s largest shareholder, had applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to establish its ownership of those same marks.”

Renwood Group (Group) owns 96 percent of Amador County-based Renwood Winery (Winery) and 100 percent of Renwood Vineyard Properties, Ltd. (Vineyard) which has also filed for Chapter 11.

Winery has not declared bankruptcy. Indeed, Smerling said the winery “just finished fiscal 2010 and case sales were up 41 percent.”

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Also In This Article For VIP Subscribers:

• RENWOOD SAYS IT CANCELED ITS TRADEMARKS TO CORRECT PRIOR LICENSING MISTAKES

• SMERLING ACQUIRED CONTROL OF FIRM OWNING RENWOOD TRADEMARKS IN 2002

• TLA DISPUTES “MISTAKE” EXPLANATION

• TLA ALLEGES SMERLING ENGAGED IN “SELF DEALING”

• RENWOOD WINERY CALLS TLA CHARGES “ILL-INFORMED, UNCORROBORATED”

COURT DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE TO VIP PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS

• TLA Support for Trustee and Joint Administration: Thomas Declaration, 062210
• TLA Support for Trustee and Joint Administration: Thomas Declaration-exhibits, 060910
• Renwood Group Joinder: Opposition To Appointment of Trustee
• Renwood Group, Opposition To Appointment of Trustee-Exhibits, 061810
• Renwood: Smerling Declaration Regarding Trademark License Controversy, 061610
• Renwood Group Operating Report Month Ended June10, 2010, 071510
• TLA Reply To Renwood’s Objection To The Appointment of a Trustee, 062210
• TLA Reply To Renwood’s Objection To The Joint Administration of Renwood Group and Renwood Vineyard Properties-exhibits, 062210
• TLA Reply To Renwood’s Objection To The Joint Administration of Renwood Group and Renwood Vineyard Properties: Thomas Declaration, 060910

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