Court and Administrative Litigation 

Trademark litigation is often central to protection of clients’ rights.  Our team is expert in pursuing and defending these adversarial proceedings in administrative agencies and, when circumstances warrant, in federal court litigation. 

Our team regularly represents clients in a variety of adversarial settings.  We often pursue ex parte appeals and trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).  Those proceedings typically are less costly than federal court litigation for resolving trademark disputes.  A TTAB action also may serve as a “lead dispute” in order to negotiate worldwide settlements in cases where numerous companion administrative proceedings are also pending in foreign jurisdictions. 

Our attorneys are well-versed in the new options created under the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 for administrative actions before the U.S. Trademark Office examination division for “expungement” or “reexamination.”  These actions are used to obtain the cancellation or limitation of registrations for goods and services not in actual use by the registered owner. 

Our team also has extensive experience in bringing cost-effective and speedy Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings that lead to administrative remedies for bad faith domain name registrations, including the transfer of the domain to the client. 

We do not take the prospect of federal court litigation lightly.  It is the most extreme remedy, but when no other adversarial options fit the situation, or when our clients are sued as defendants, our team is prepared to litigate our clients’ cases.  Our team has decades of experience in federal and state court trademark and copyright litigation, having litigated in a multitude of jurisdictions as well as federal court venues nationwide. 

Finally, with one or more members admitted to each of the federal courts in the District of Columbia, District of Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia (the notorious “rocket docket” and the location where many Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) domain name infringement cases are venued), we are also available to serve as local counsel in intellectual property litigation.