Ninth Circuit Judge Harry Pregerson defended himself Tuesday against accusations that stock he owned created a financial conflict of interest in a pair of trademark cases he ruled on last year.
A company called M2 Software Inc. had sought to vacate the rulings, but the 9th Circuit issued an order Tuesday denying the petitions, and Pregerson, who again sat on the panel, attached a concurrence noting that his financial interest in both suits is “remote in nature” and that his impartiality should not be questioned.
