For over eight years, interest groups opposed three bills passed by the Maryland legislature which collectively permitted the billboards to go up, despite Baltimore City’s otherwise near-total ban on outdoor billboards within the City limits. Mr. Torrez worked on behalf of his clients to successfully oppose an injunction seeking to block the implementation of the ordinances, and then prevailed in three separate lawsuits seeking to overturn the ordinances, procure injunctive relief and for damages: one administrative proceeding in state court, one lawsuit instate court and a parallel lawsuit in federal court, all of which went up on various appeals. Ultimately, Mr. Torrez won on summary judgment, which was upheld by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in MBC Realty v.Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, 993 A.2d 1190 (Md. App. 2010) and left standing by the Court of Appeals (which denied certiorari). Along the way, Mr. Torrez litigated one of the landmark zoning cases to be decided by the Maryland Court of Appeals, MBC Realty v.Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, 941 A.2d 1052 (Md. 2008).  

The firm can also provide advice and counsel to assist business owners in avoiding these types of problems, including negotiating termination and severance agreements for employees, executives and partners, shareholders or others with an equity stake in the business. 

In many cases, a minor contract provision can have serious consequences. In 2009, Mr. Torrez successfully arbitrated a contractual dispute over the meaning of a single sentence in a contract between an insurance runoff entity and Ashland, Inc., an oil and chemical company, concerning how the runoff entity would make various payments for asbestos liabilities incurred by Ashland. When Mr. Torrez prevailed in arbitration, he saved his clients more than $200 million in net present value due to the timing and methodology of the payments made pursuant to that contract. The arbitration award was upheld on appeal. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London v. Ashland, Inc., 967 A.2d 166 (D.C. 2009).

Today, Mr. Torrez brings his vast knowledge and experience to policyholders and others with interests affected by complex insurance questions. In 2014, Mr. Torrez represented a Maryland law firm with claims pending against a defunct tool-and-die manufacturer whose assets were being disposed of in bankruptcy. When the manufacturer and its two largest insurers attempted to cut a deal that would allocate the proceeds from insurance policies to some legal claims but not others, Mr. Torrez vigorously litigated in state court, federal bankruptcy court and on appeal all the way to the Fourth Circuit to protect his client’s interests in the insurance proceeds. Ultimately, the matter was settled to the satisfaction of all parties. 

Mr. Torrez has extensive experience navigating the often-confusing landscape of insurance contracts and reinsurance treaties.  He has litigated scope of coverage, trigger of coverage, allocation, notice, and exclusions in state and federal court and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings before AAA and JAMS arbitrators.  

Mr. Torrez has worked closely with creators, innovators and artists to secure and protect their full intellectual property rights under the law. In addition, Mr. Torrez has experience in litigating intellectual property cases such as:

• trademark infringement
• copyright infringement
• misappropriation of trade secrets
• licensing agreements
• online “cybersquatting” of trademarks and copyrights
• ICANN domain name arbitration

Mr. Torrez has vigorously defended his clients against statutory copyright claims; see, e.g., Metal Morphosis,Inc. v. Acorn Media Publishing, Inc., 639 F.Supp.2d 1367 (N.D. Ga. 2009).