Knobbe Martens has for the eighth consecutive year been ranked as one of the top trademark law firms in the nation by the World Trademark Review (WTR) in the “WTR 1000” guide.
The firm received “gold tier” regional rankings for its practice in enforcement and litigation, and in prosecution and strategy. Firms that receive a “gold tier” ranking attract the most positive comments from outside sources, have established top-level reputations and are able to secure high-profile work from top clients. WTR recognized Knobbe Martens’ trademark group of attorneys as “knowledgeable, hands-on and highly impressive”, as well as being “excellent trademark counsels [as the practitioners] are aware of legal intricacies, pragmatic about their advice and very hardworking”.
Knobbe Martens continues to “gain ground” in California, as reflected by the additions of Craig Summers and Stacey Halpern to the list of attorneys recognized by WTR. In total, nine Knobbe Martens partners were individually recognized as leading trademark lawyers:
Stacey Halpern, known for being a “very seasoned and highly rated attorney” was commended for being “conscientious”, “responsive” and “trademark savvy”. She handles the development and management of worldwide trademark portfolios, resolving trademark, copyright, and domain name disputes, including the resolution of proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), establishing and enforcing rights in trademarks and copyrights, disputes involving counterfeit goods and customs, and Internet-related matters.
Catherine Holland, with life-long experience in brand management and licensing work with sports, nutritional supplement, publishing and software companies, was praised for her “ability to think deeply about cutting-edge trademark topics”. Her clients and peers have affirmed that “her practical advice takes into account both legal and business considerations,” and that she is “personal, easy to get along with and never arrogant”.
Jonathan Hyman, was described as “well versed across a variety of areas; he knows how to summarize information efficiently and prepare high-quality documents,” and is “quick to respond and a pleasure to work with [as] client service is [his] high priority”. His practice includes domestic and international trademark prosecution, enforcement and clearance, proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), social media issues, intellectual property licensing, copyrights, rights of publicity, domain name disputes, entertainment law, and client counseling. Jonathan teaches Trademark Law at UCLA Law School.
Susan Natland, focuses on domestic and international trademark law, including all aspects of trademark protection, portfolio management, and enforcement and licensing. For over 20 years, she been representing high-profile clients to protect their brand assets. She also teaches Trademark Law at her alma mater UCLA Law School. Susan was praised for her “sensible and judicious approach” after taking on the role of lead trademark counsel after the Broadcom acquisition by Avago Technologies for $37 billion – one of the largest tech deals ever.
Gregory Phillips counsels clients with their domestic and international trademark matters, including clearance, registration and enforcement, federal trademark litigation, and petitioning and defending opposition and cancellation matters. Editors of the WTR guide commented that his “sweeping practice and pithy advice are a boon to any trademark owner hoping to gain a foothold in an increasingly competitive marketplace”.
Diane Reed was described as “a hit with brand owners” and praised for how successful she has been in enforcing Monster Energy’s rights in other worldwide jurisdictions by “tackling swathes of copycats” in China. Her practice focuses on IP transactions, where she has helped many brand owners negotiate major agreements. Her other representative clients include Toshiba American Information Systems, Partners in Leadership, Hunter Industries, James Hardie Building Products and PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors).
Craig Summers, has over 30 years of experience in IP litigation and dispute resolution, involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and unfair competition. He has litigated hundreds of IP cases in a wide range of technologies and industries. Many of his clients are foreign corporations, and he is well-versed in the unique issues facing those companies in U.S. litigation. Craig was described as “gentlemanly and professional,” and was complimented by clients and peers as “an outstanding litigator.”
Jeffrey Van Hoosear, who has three decades of wide-ranging trademark experience, was described as a “terrific attorney who can quickly grasp tricky concepts”. He was applauded for his “uncompromising focus on customer service”, a distinguishing feature of his practice. He is the Chair of the Trademark Practice Group and is an active writer for the firm’s Fashion & Beauty Blog.
Lynda Zadra-Symes, was described by her clients and peers as a “super-experienced IP litigator”, “extremely knowledgeable and fun to work with” and a “tough opponent [yet] simultaneously cordial and reasonable”. She represents clients through all stages of litigation in trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, false advertising and unfair competition cases and was described as “strong in anti-counterfeiting and domain name matters.”
World Trademark Review is the only standalone ranking publication to exclusively focus on trademark practices and practitioners. To compile the “WTR 1000”, researchers interviewed hundreds of in-house and private practice lawyers and attorneys based in over 50 countries and were asked to identify the leading individuals and firms in both contentious and non-contentious work. Firms qualified based on their depth of expertise, market presence and the level of work on which they are typically instructed. Full rankings and methodology can be found at www.worldtrademarkreview.com.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a law firm practicing exclusively in the area of intellectual property and technology law. We have been recognized as a top law firm for trademark litigation and prosecution in the United States by World Trademark Review (WTR) and by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP). Our lawyers have an extensive practice in trademark protection, trademark licensing, unfair competition, trade dress, rights of publicity, copyrights and false advertising, and considerable experience before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) in oppositions, cancellations and concurrent rights proceedings. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
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