FRANCHISE LAW WITH ZING
by Valerie Brennan Store design / layout protection is a hot topic in trademark and copyright circles at the moment. Trade dress protection can be added to your arsenal of tools for preventing copycats from profiting off your creativity. It’s far from easy and requires a clear strategy and well-documented approach, but can be worth the effort. Create each element…
by Valerie Brennan Trademark symbols or notices – TM, SM and ® – serve important purposes but it’s not always clear why and how companies should use them. Here’s a concise guide: Which? Use TM for unregistered product marks, SM for unregistered service marks (but TM is ok too), and ® for federally registered marks when used for whatever products…
By: Valerie Brennan The start of the year is an excellent time to take stock of your trademark portfolio through an (internal or external) audit – a quick check that your brands as protected match your use. What is a trademark audit? A trademark audit is a review of a brand portfolio, including both registered and “common law” (unregistered) marks,…
We are thrilled to announce that Valerie Brennan has joined the team as our newest (and our eleventh!) partner. Valerie is a top-notch intellectual property attorney with 25+ years of large firm experience. She joins our vibrant Trademark practice – and transforms it into our Trademarks & Copyrights practice – as we add Valerie’s experience, deep understanding, and capabilities in…
Co-Owner Lee Plave was awarded by the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising’s with the Lewis G. Rudnick Award. The Lewis G. Rudnick Award is known as the highest and most prestigious award a franchise attorney can receive, recognizing his experience, professionalism, and leadership in franchising. This award is in memory of Lew Rudnick, who was one of the founders of…
As we approach our 13th anniversary, our firm has grown to match our years. We proudly announce new partner Dave Worthen and new lawyer Maggie Naylor. David Worthen has over 1,000 cases under his belt, and his litigation record is matched by few in the franchise bar. His broad experience representing franchisors includes intentional underreporting of sales, tax fraud, standards…
Ten Partners recognized by Who’s Who Legal All nine of the firm’s partners — Regina Amolsch, Leslie Curran, Marisa Faunce, David Koch, Michael Laidhold, Lee Plave, Leslie Pujo, Ben Reed ,Jim Rubinger and David Worthen— were named by London-based Who’s Who Legal to WWL’s list of the top franchise lawyers in the world for 2019. WWL is a leading publication…
David Koch, Lee Plave, and Leslie Curran Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders Global Elite 2020 Lee Plave, David Koch, and Leslie Curran were recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Global Elite 2020, which brings together the insight, expertise and wisdom of some of the world’s foremost lawyers and experts in a single book. is the only…
Lee Plave was named global Franchise Lawyer of the Year for the second consecutive year by WWL. “In winning this award for the second time, Mr. Plave has once again showed his outstanding skill, expertise and reputation in the field of franchising, said Rupert Wilson, WWL’s editor. “Respondents to our research recommended him more than any other practitioner in the…
Eight Partners recognized by Who’s Who Legal Our firm is honored to have eight Partners recognized by Who’s Who Legal, an independent London-based publishing group, which provides research, analysis and reports on international legal services. Regina Amolsch Leslie Curran Marisa Faunce Dave Koch Michael Laidhold Lee Plave Ben Reed Jim Rubinger Who’s Who Legal ranks 4th internationally among all law firms in…
