Most Highly Regarded Firms: Trademarks 2010

• July 2010

• Trademarks

We identify 572 of the best trademark lawyers across 70 jurisdictions. The most highly regarded individuals and leaders in the field are highlighted here.

Leading International Firms

Bird & Bird is the best represented law firm with 15 inclusions, most of them in Europe. This is a firm that, according to our interviewees, “has a landmark intellectual property practice” and “an impressive list of clients”. Five of its listings are from London, including the co-chair of the practice group, Morag Macdonald, who is “a top-flight intellectual property lawyer”. Peter Brownlow’s clients include Yahoo!, Sany and Codemasters and he is considered “reliable and very knowledgeable”. Trevor Cook is “a generally acknowledged leader in IP law” and Jane Mutimear is “great for cross-border work”. Jean-Christophe Troussel in Brussels is “respected for his work with luxury goods brands” while Isabelle Leroux in Paris, the joint head of the French IP practice, has great experience in the field. Matthew Laight, the managing partner of Bird & Bird’s China operations, is highly nominated while Shirley Kwok in Beijing was called “an expert in handling IP matters for foreign companies going into the Chinese market”.

Baker & McKenzie also has an impressive international spread, with ten listings in eight different jurisdictions. Eugene Arievich is the most highly rated Russian lawyer in our research. He leads the firm’s CIS IP practice and has represented clients such as Diageo, Starbucks and Intel. Paul Rawlinson in London is the global leader of the IP practice and his clients include L’Oréal, Frito-Lay and Tommy Hilfiger. Stephen Jones, also in London, has over 30 years experience in IP law and is called “a real expert on technical issues”. Robert Arnold in Sydney is known for his work with multi-national IP portfolios and is the regional co-ordinator for the firm’s Asia-Pacific IP group.

Hogan Lovells has seven highly nominated lawyers in these pages. Peers call Verena von Bomhard “fantastic” and “highly qualified”. She is the founder of the Alicante office and specialises in community trademarks and designs. Burkhard Goebel in Madrid is the international practice leader for IP and Media and Technology at Hogan Lovells. David Latham advises on IP disputes and agreements and is based in London. Henry Wheare in Hong Kong is head of the Asia IP practice and is a “well respected player” in that market.

North America

Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu PC is the US firm with the highest number of inclusions – it achieves ten listings, all from New York. The firm is also the winner of our trademarks law firm of the year award for 2010. Ronald Lehrman is “top notch” and his clients have included clients as varied as Rolls Royce and Tabasco. Janet Hoffman is highly nominated and has a special interest in IP matters in the Russian Federation and the countries of the former USSR and Susan Upton Douglass “has a wide experience of trademark and copyright law”. Stephen Bigger is “well known” and is a specialist in name protection for entertainment groups and individuals and Roger Zissu is “an excellent litigator for all aspects of IP”.

Six lawyers are included from Californian firm Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP. The “incredibly intelligent” Lynda Zadra-Symes litigates on all IP issues and advises on copyright and trademark matters. Susan Natland is “a real trademark specialist” whose client list includes Broadcom Corporation and Urban Decay and Catherine Holland is internationally recognised for her work in trademark protection.

Sally Abel is the highest rated California-based lawyer and is one of two inclusions from Fenwick & West LLP. Her clients include Sun Microsystems, Google and Cisco Systems and she is the chair of the firm’s trademark group. The “outstanding” Connie Ellerbach is also included; her clients include Palm, StumbleUpon and Gracenote.

Kilpatrick Stockton earns five listings, among them Miles Alexander, who “has been top of the game for a long time” and whose representative clients include Houghton Mifflin, American Eagle and a leading international pizza chain. Virginia Taylor is also at the Atlanta office of the firm and “has an excellent reputation” for her work in international brand strategy. Christopher Woods is also included in New York and he specialises in cross-border disputes related to trademark matters.

Pattishall McAuliffe Newbury Hilliard & Geraldson LLP has four inclusions, all of them from Chicago. Robert Sacoff is “resourceful and skilled” and his clients include Gateway and Ticketmaster while the “distinguished” David Hilliard has represented Sun Life, Ford and Pepsi. Also in Chicago, the firm Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione has three inclusions, including Jerome Gilson, who has over 45 years of experience in the field. He has litigated for such well-known brands as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Wrigley chewing gum.

In Canada, Daniel R Bereskin QC at Bereskin & Parr LLP is the most highly nominated trademark lawyer in our research overall and a five-time winner of our award for the leading lawyer in this practice area worldwide.  Cynthia Rowden is also extremely highly nominated and is the head of Bereskin & Parr’s trademark practice. Sheldon Burshtein is included from Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto and one client called him “discrete, dedicated to his work and prompt to follow deadlines.”

Europe

The “eminent” Charles Gielen at NautaDutilh in the Netherlands is one of three practitioners from that firm included in the publication. He has acted for L’Oréal, LVMH, Diageo and Intel, among others, and he is a part-time professor at Groningen University.

Allen & Overy LLP’s “top level” trademark practice achieves four listings. Geert Glas in Brussels is considered to be “a star in European trademark law” and is very highly nominated. Nicola Dagg in London works for clients such as Research in Motion/Blackberry and major consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies.

Isabel Davies at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP in London performed extremely well in our research. She is a senior partner in the firm’s IP practice and the head of its TMT group. She has advised Microsoft, Jack Daniels and Procter & Gamble among others.

Also in London, Sally Field and Paul Walsh are included from Bristows. Walsh heads the brands practice and Field has over 27 years of dispute resolution experience in the field.

Shlomo Cohen is the most highly nominated Israeli trademark lawyer in our research. His firm, Dr Shlomo Cohen & Co is considered by one commentator to be “the best in Israel for IP issues”.

Asia Pacific

John Hackett, of New Zealand firm A J Park, received a raft of nominations from peers and clients. Sky Television and the New Zealand Automobile Association appear on his national client list while he has advised Disney, Lacoste and Time Warner internationally.

Allens Arthur Robinson has five listings and the foremost is Jim Dwyer, who is a “doyen of Australian trademark litigation”. Tim Golder is “extremely experienced” and Jackie O’Brien and Philip Kerr also feature. The “terrific” Ted Marr is included from the Hong Kong office.

In Australia, Trevor Stevens is the senior partner of Davies Collison Cave Law’s trademarks group. He often works with US companies coming into Australia and he has served on the board of directors of INTA. He is one of four lawyers listed from this firm; Christine Lowe, Desmond Ryan and Rodney De Boos make up the rest of the contingent.

In Hong Kong, Ella Cheong is considered to be “one of the best intellectual property lawyers in Asia” and she is the founding partner of her firm, Ella Cheong (Hong Kong).

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