Barnea & Co is representing Espresso Club in Israel in a litigation with Nespresso.
The Nestlé high-end coffee brand is suing its Israeli rival for using an actor with a resemblance to Nespresso ambassador George Clooney in an advert.
An advert from Israel’s Espresso Club depicts a Clooney lookalike walking out of a shop carrying what appears to be a Nespresso bag.
He is then stopped by a passerby who informs him of the benefits of Espresso club.
During the advert, a disclaimer flashes up on the screen saying the man in the film “is not George Clooney”.
Nespresso wants the ad, which can be viewed on YouTube, to be taken down, as well as $50,000 (£35,127) in damages.
Advocate Zohar Lande from Barnea & Co, representing Espresso Club, said: “Espresso Club believes that Nespresso’s claim is an attempt by a monopoly to minimise the competition in the Israeli Market.
“Accordingly, we are confident that the Israeli Court will reject Nespresso’s claim. As already mentioned during the court hearings, Espresso Club’s ad uses a common practice within the ad’s world.”
