Purchaser of Mesa Vista Ranch Files Federal Lawsuit for Trademark Infringement Against Nearby Property Owner
By Weisbart Springer Hayes
Ranch was previously owned and developed by legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens
AMARILLO, Texas – The entity that purchased the 37,000-acre Mesa Vista Ranch from the estate of the late T. Boone Pickens has filed a lawsuit alleging that another real estate group is unlawfully using the same name and infringing on the Mesa Vista Ranch trademarks in marketing an adjacent property. The property is in Roberts County in the eastern Texas Panhandle, about 80 miles northeast of Amarillo.
BRS Mesa Vista Partners, LLC, led by Midland businessman Bill Kent, acquired all physical assets as well as intellectual property rights, including all trademarks, copyrights, trade names, and other similar rights relating to the Mesa Vista Ranch from the Pickens Management Trust in November 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The group has continued the 40-year legacy of Mr. Pickens in using the property and the Mesa Vista marks for various products and services and intends to expand use of the property as a premier resort and hunting destination through a private membership format for individuals and businesses across the nation and internationally.
The lawsuit filed in federal district court in Amarillo claims the defendant, Mesa Vista Ranch, LLC, formed by Texas businessman Bailey Peyton and Atlanta-based real estate investment professional, J. Bradford Smith, subsequently purchased approximately 12,000 acres of land that adjoins and was formerly part of the Mesa Vista Ranch. According to the lawsuit, their intent is to sell all or part of that land by marketing the land as the Mesa Vista Ranch thereby infringing on the Mesa Vista Ranch name, reputation, trademark, and the goodwill in that mark.
According to the lawsuit, the 12,000 acres that the defendant is trying to sell contains none of the multimillion-dollar improvements Mr. Pickens made to the Mesa Vista Ranch, including the lakes and creeks created on the property, the luxury accommodations, the golf course, as well as the environmental amenities and other facilities – including a private airport.
“Defendant has initiated a marketing campaign to sell all or parts of its parcel, using the Mesa Vista Ranch name and trademark and calling their parcel the Mesa Vista Ranch, in violation of Plaintiff’s rights to that name and in an effort to confuse consumers as to the nature of their parcel,” the lawsuit states. “Though their property was once part of the Mesa Vista Ranch, it is no longer part of the Mesa Vista Ranch operation, and its owners are not entitled to call it the Mesa Vista Ranch.”
“There is great equity in the Mesa Vista brand, and Mr. Kent and his group are very serious in seeking to protect the brand, the ranch name, and the ranch’s valuable trademarks,” says Geoff Weisbart of Weisbart Springer Hayes, attorneys for BRS Mesa Vista Partners, LLC. “The great ranches across America have proven time and time again the value of these trademarks and ranch legacies, and it’s an honor to help preserve the Mesa Vista Ranch’s name, mark, and goodwill.”
The lawsuit is BRS Mesa Vista Partners, LLC v. Mesa Vista Ranch, LLC, No. 2:24-cv-00022, filed today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Amarillo.
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