Trademark and Branding

Successfully represented the designer and manufacturer of cheerleading apparel in a copyright infringement suit, including successful appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which was affirmed by a 6-2 decision of the United States Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court established a new standard and resolved a circuit-split regarding the proper test for conceptual separability and copyrightability applicable for two-dimensional artwork applied to useful articles.

Manage and enforce large international trademark portfolios for clients in the artificial intelligence (AI) software and AI services; consumer and cosmetics; building materials; food products and restaurant services; automotive; clothing and apparel; health and medical services; and senior and assisted living facilities, including providing brand advice and strategy for growth.

Advised recording artists and songwriters regarding entertainment/music industry agreements and protection of intellectual property, including negotiation of publishing agreements, 360 deals, drafting and negotiating synchronization licenses for use of songs in films, drafting recording agreements for Grammy® Award winning artists, and counseling artists on obtaining commercial success.

Successfully prosecuted dozens of copyright and trademark applications.

Advised the client in the negotiation and purchase of a large trademark portfolio from a competitor.

Outside trademark counsel for multiple clients in the restaurant services industry and food preparation industry.

Global Intellectual Property counsel for Avis Budget Group, Inc. and Zipcar Inc., global leaders in fleet management technology, rentals and ride sharing.

Advises recording artist on distribution agreements and copyright protection of songs and performances.

Advised U.S. companies on the protection and monetization of copyright assets.

Designed and implemented strategies for establishing protectable trademark and trade dress rights in marks requiring secondary meaning.

Represented the client and performed extensive due diligence in the acquisition of large patent and trademark portfolios.

Obtained favorable copyright rulings in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on two issues of first impression which are of extreme importance to the fashion and clothing industries - the test for conceptual separability of graphic designs from clothing and the deference that courts should pay to registration decisions of the Copyright Office.

Guided U.S. and overseas clients in medical devices, construction materials, franchising and cosmetics through the registration process for protection of trademarks at the state, federal and international levels.

Prosecutes multi-country trademark applications through the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Madrid System.

Advised multi-national company on trademark and copyright issues regarding online presence and warranty agreements for new product.

Trademark and copyright counsel for multiple start-ups and app developers.