Intellectual Property
Our clients work hard to build their brands and deliver innovative products and services. Keller and Heckman’s Intellectual Property team helps ensure that valuable intangible assets, such as trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, are protected. We counsel for-profit and non-profit clients on intellectual property matters and assist with developing and managing intellectual property portfolios to help safeguard brands and goodwill, and prevent intellectual property disputes. When necessary, we aggressively represent our clients’ interests in proceedings before federal and state agencies and courts.
Our attorneys advise on trademark and copyright registrations and help develop intellectual property licensing programs designed to protect trademarks and copyrights while minimizing liability exposure. We represent clients in infringement matters and assist with transactional matters involving intellectual property rights, such as drafting assignment and license agreements, model releases, and non-disclosure agreements.
Representative Matters
- Successfully overcame U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refusals to register trademarks
- Negotiated the settlement of trademark opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
- Assisted national trade associations with rebranding initiatives
- Successfully represented a non-profit organization that sponsors national certification programs in multiple cases before U.S. District Courts alleging infringement and unfair competition
Areas of Focus
Assisting with trademark screening searches and preparing and filing applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and state agencies; assisting with registering copyrighted works with the U.S. Copyright Office; and advising on proper use of trademarks with products and services and in advertising and promotional materials
Helping clients develop licensing programs designed to protect trademarks and copyrights; drafting and negotiating license agreements; and assisting non-profit organizations with developing certification programs for products and services and registering and protecting their certification marks
Drafting and negotiating intellectual property assignment agreements, model releases, and non-disclosure agreements and advising on intellectual property rights and contract terms in connection with business transaction.
Representing clients before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and courts; Drafting and negotiating settlement agreements arising out of infringement claims