Lynda Zadra-Symes is a litigation partner and co-chair of the firm’s trademark and copyright litigation practice groups. She represents clients through all stages of U.S. litigation, from pre-suits through trial and appeal, in federal courts throughout the country and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Her practice involves all types of intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, false advertising, unfair competition, rights of publicity franchising, labeling, cybersecurity and data privacy. She also advises on issues relating to customs and anti-counterfeiting, international trademarks and copyrights, advertising, social media, competition and passing off. Lynda works with clients in numerous industries, including food & beverage, fashion and beauty, medical device and healthcare, software, financial and professional services, sports and entertainment.
Lynda is a Domain Name Dispute Panelist arbitrator for the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) in Geneva, Switzerland, and has arbitrated numerous domain name disputes. She is a former Co-Chair of the International Bar Association (“IBA”) committee for Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law, and has conducted numerous presentations on a variety of intellectual property matters internationally. Lynda is also a listed Mediator with the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Trademark Mediators Network.
Lynda was called to the Bar of England and Wales as a barrister in November 1989. She is a member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (Inn of Court) and undertook her barrister training at One Essex Court, London with a barrister specializing in intellectual property law. Lynda was admitted to the California Bar in 1991.
Prior to commencing her legal studies, Lynda worked for three years at the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO") in Geneva, Switzerland. She joined the firm in 1990 and became a partner in 1996.
Lynda has received multiple awards and has been honored in both national and international forums for her legal accomplishments:
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Selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2017 - 2021 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® for her work in Intellectual Property Litigation
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Recognized in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 as a "Leading Trademark Lawyer" from 2012 - 2021. In 2017, Lynda was described as “strong in anti-counterfeiting and domain name matters” and that she “brings value through her ability to manage international cases, especially with her prior experience as a barrister in the UK”. In the 2018 guide, Lynda’s clients and peers commented that she is a “super-experienced IP litigator”, “extremely knowledgeable and fun to work with” and that she is a “tough opponent, but is simultaneously cordial and reasonable”. The 2019 guide described her as someone who "puts in the extra effort to understand her clients' business; she can navigate any challenge and employs creative thinking to find solutions. Her time spent abroad means she is also familiar with the nuances of trademark law in various jurisdictions, which is a bonus." In the 2020 guide, she was also noted for her "case and team management skills; she trains associates thoroughly and gives them responsibility while leveraging the firm's paralegal corps and other support staff well". In the 2021 guide, she was celebrated as a skilled litigator "through all phases of litigation," with the ability to take on any IP case; also described as a "backbone of the litigation practice."
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Selected by Super Lawyers magazine for intellectual property litigation (2004, and consecutively from 2009 - 2013, and 2020)
- Repeatedly named in Legal Media Group's "Women in Business Law" guide from 2010 - 2017 and 2019
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Listed in the 2018 and 2020 edition of Expert Guides as one of the "World's Leading Advisors Chosen by their Peers" for Trademarks
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Named as one of the world’s leading trademark practitioners in "Who's Who Legal: Trademarks" list, by Law Business Research (2006, 2007, and consecutively from 2009 - 2019)
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Named as one of the world’s leading patents lawyers in the "Who's Who Legal: Patents" list, by Law Business Research (2019). Lynda was described as “a first-rate practitioner who focuses on IP litigation, an area in which she is considered a go-to name in the US market.”
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Recognized in the Legal Media Group's (LMG) "Best of the Best USA" guide as one of the top 30 trademark practitioners in the United States (2019)
- Recognized in Lawyer Monthly magazine's "2015 Women in Law Awards" for her outstanding achievements in the legal profession.
- Nominated by in-house counsel and her peers around the world to appear in Euromoney Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Trademark Law Practitioners (2006, 2007, 2012, and 2014)
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Named as a Top Women Attorney in Southern California by Super Lawyers (2012 and 2013)
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Nominated for the Orange County Business Journal Women In Business Awards (2006 and 2007)
Co-author, How High Court May Resolve Generic'.Com' TM Issue, Law360 (November 2019)
Co-author, Supreme Court Case Highlights the Importance of Applying for Copyright Registration as Soon as Possible, ECONTENT (March 2019)
Co-author, The Supreme Court limits the scope of "full costs" in the Copyright Act fee-shifting provision, Knobbe Martens Firm Alert (March 2019)
Co-author, The Supreme Court holds that a copyright claimant may not sue for infringement until the Copyright Office has granted or refused registration of the work at issue, Knobbe Martens Firm Alert (March 2019)
Co-author, GDPR: Ready for the EU's New Data Privacy Law? What You Need to Know, Knobbe Martens Firm Alert (January 2018)
Contributing author, United States Chapter, International Design Protection, published by Globe Law and Business Ltd. (March 2017)
Contributing author, United States Chapter, Trade Secret Protection: A Global Guide, published by Globe Law and Business (January 2016)
Co-author, Getting the Deal Through: Trademarks 2016, published by Law Business Research Ltd. (September 2015)
Co-author, Kluwers Advertising Treatise - United States Chapter, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (September 2015)
Contributing author, Licenses and Insolvency, A Practical Guide to the Effects of Insolvency on IP License Agreements, published by International Bar Association (October 2014)
Co-author, Supreme Court Decision POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co: What You Need to Know, Knobbe Martens Firm Alert (June 2014)
Contributing thoughts in "Legal Perspective on Negative Online Reviews: What Both Sides Should Consider Before Jumping Into the Fray," JD Supra Perspectives (February 2014)
Contributing author, Trademark Surveys, Volume 1, Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Surveys, published by ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law (2013)
Law360 Q&A with Knobbe's Lynda Zadra-Symes, Law360 (June 2013)
Author, The Current State of Copyright Exhaustion in the U.S., Presented at the AIPLA 2013 Spring Meeting (May 2013)
Author, Anti-counterfeiting strategies in the United States, North American Regional Forum News (Newsletter of the International Bar Association Legal Practice Division) (April 2013)
Contributing author, "International Design Protection", Globe Law and Business (May 2012)
Author, Avoiding IP Troubles Online, The Patriot (February 2012)
Author, The potential pitfalls of comparative advertising, World Trademark Review (2010)
Co-author, Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies: What You Need to Know, Orange County Lawyer (August 2007)
Author, Controlling Counterfeit Trade in Tangible Products Over the Internet (2006)
Author, Sounds, Smells, Shapes and Colors: Protection and Enforcement of Nontraditional Trademarks in the U.S. (2005)
Speeches & Seminars
"The Social Network: Current Legal Issues in Social Media," Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Southern California DoubleHeader (November 2015)
"The Legalities of Fashion - Intellectual Property Workshop," Fashion Week San Diego (September 2013)
"Understanding Trade Secrets and Trade Secret Misappropriation," IP Impact San Diego - Trademark Seminar (July 2013)
"What You Need to Know About Copyright Exhaustion Without Getting Exhausted," AIPLA 2013 Spring Meeting (May 2013)
"You've Just Been Sued - What to do in the First 30 Days," Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Southern California DoubleHeader (April 2013)
"Avoiding Trade Secret Misappropriation, False Advertising & Unfair Competition Claims," Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Southern California In-House Counsel Conference (January 2013)
"Hiring Competitor’s Top Talent & Being Fiercely Competitive Without Exposing Your Company," Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Southern California In-House Counsel Conference (January 2013)
"Winning at the Outset: Improving Chances of Success on a Preliminary Injunction Motion," AIPLA (October 2010)
"Controlling Counterfeit Trade in Tangible Products Over the Internet," Worldwide Piracy Prevention Conference (2006)