Seven Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys—Pete Bromaghim, Evan Fultz, Sarah Keefe, Laura Kees, John Morrow, Randy Springer and Jacob Wharton—have been honored in the World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, 2023 edition.
The WTR 1000 research directory focuses on identifying “the leading professionals and firms that are deemed outstanding at obtaining, protecting, managing, enforcing and monetizing trademarks.” Candidates are ranked according to market research and are included independently of any commercial considerations.
In analysis based on confidential client interviews, the WTR 1000 report says, “The trademark team at Womble Bond Dickinson ‘is sensitive to business needs and they go the extra mile to keep costs down, always providing resourceful solutions that are both practical and cost effective. The team thrives in orchestrating creative solutions to enforce and secure legal rights.’”
“The trademark team at Womble Bond Dickinson ‘is sensitive to business needs and they go the extra mile to keep costs down, always providing resourceful solutions that are both practical and cost effective. The team thrives in orchestrating creative solutions to enforce and secure legal rights.’”
The WTR 1000 report continues, writing, “Patrons enthuse about the caliber of the service from Womble’s trademark team: ‘I have been very impressed by the team at Womble Bond Dickinson. They manage our entire 700-mark portfolio with ease. Even the paralegals are impressive – those who manage our day-to-day administrative matters are extremely detail oriented and always on top of deadlines. I would highly recommend the Womble team for trademark work.’”
Pete Bromaghim has extensive experience in trademark selection, clearance, and portfolio strategies. He oversees the prosecution of trademark applications domestically and internationally, and heads up global enforcement matters involving many famous marks. He also handles many opposition and cancellation matters before the US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and assists with federal trademark litigation.
Evan Fultz advises businesses on their trademark and other proprietary rights in connection with the launch and protection of new brands, as well as in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, and expansions. He also manages worldwide monitoring and enforcement programs for his clients’ most valuable brands. In addition, Fultz frequently handles IP disputes and has extensive experience litigating trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the USPTO.
Sarah Keefe develops complex trademark clearance and registration strategies across industry sector lines and around the world, with a particular area of experience in regulated industries. Keefe has considerable experience in pharmaceutical trademarks, including regulatory and safety analysis branding considerations. She also helps clients resolve IP disputes, including trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising litigation as well as trademark opposition proceedings before the USPTO. She is a North Carolina Bar Board Certified Trademark Specialist.
Laura Kees concentrates her practice on managing trademark and copyright portfolios; counseling clients on risks associated with proposed names and marks; evaluating when applications for domestic and/or international registration should be filed and advising how and when to maintain those registrations. She is the leader of Womble Bond Dickinson’s Trademarks, Copyrights and Transactions Practice Group.
John Morrow chaired Womble Bond Dickinson’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group from 2012–2021. For more than two decades, his practice has focused on complex disputes involving patent infringement, trademark and trade dress infringement, unfair competition, copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, antitrust, and cybersecurity (data breaches).
Randy Springer has guided clients in selecting, clearing, registering, maintaining and defending trademarks for more than 25 years. Springer acts as a trusted IP advisor to clients at all stages of the trademark life cycle, and is a North Carolina Bar Board Certified Trademark Specialist.
Jacob Wharton – Jake defends clients in IP disputes in federal courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and in private arbitrations. His experience includes trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation matters. Jake represents a variety of industries that span diverse technologies, especially the snack food, apparel, home furnishings/furniture, software, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and related industries.