Womble Bond Dickinson Establishes New York Office with Addition of Elite IP Team

The transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson is opening an office in New York with the addition of a prestigious group of lawyers from the intellectual property boutique firm Abelman Frayne & Schwab. With this year marking the fifth anniversary of the transatlantic combination that created Womble Bond Dickinson, the firm’s continued growth has included new offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Houston, and an expanded presence in Palo Alto.

The New York-based trademark, licensing, and copyright team will be led by partners Julianne Abelman and Marie Anne Mastrovito, who will be joined by of counsel Erica R. Halstead, senior counsels Lori B. Cohen and Anthony A. Coppola, and six paralegals. With a well-known reputation across the trademark world, the team represents clients at all stages of trademark protection and litigation in every country of the world.

“This impressive group of lawyers has represented some of the world’s top brands, providing a wide range of trademark services across several industries,” said Elizabeth O. Temple, CEO and Chair of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP. “Along with bolstering our trademarks and brand management practice, this addition allows us to plant our flag in one of the world’s most important business and legal centers. In alignment with our strategic plan, this office – combined with our existing presence in other key innovation centers, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C. – continues our growth trajectory in markets that are driving innovation and technological change.”

Abelman and her team offer a full range of trademark services, including counseling clients in the selection of marks, providing trademark clearance searches and opinions, prosecuting trademark applications, counseling on enforcement strategies, representing clients in opposition and cancellation actions, and infringement litigation. They have worked with major corporations in several sectors, including alcoholic beverages, food, clothing, energy, technology, healthcare, consumer products, and manufacturing.

“We are excited to join Womble Bond Dickinson and establish the firm’s presence in New York,” said Abelman. “We will be able to combine our experience and small-firm culture of personal service to our clients with the support of a highly respected intellectual property department. We can’t think of a better partner as we begin this new chapter for our team.”

With this addition, Womble Bond Dickinson’s intellectual property practice will include more than 140 attorneys, patent agents, and technical advisors who help clients protect innovations and capitalize on the value of their IP in a competitive marketplace. The group’s full-service offerings include trademark clearance, prosecution and enforcement, patent preparation and prosecution, copyright registrations, technology transactions, complex licensing, IP litigation, trade secret protection, and data privacy and cybersecurity. More than 100 of these legal professionals are U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) registered practitioners, including attorneys and agents, and the team has more than 75 professionals with advanced degrees, 28 of whom have Ph.D.s or doctorates. Womble Bond Dickinson is a top-ranked firm in the Chambers USA 2021 Guide for intellectual property. 

More information on the attorneys joining Womble Bond Dickinson can be found below:

Julianne Abelman has experience in the protection and enforcement of trademarks, copyrights, and domain names worldwide, including counseling on the selection and clearance of trademarks and slogans, filing and prosecution, licensing of intellectual property, trademark infringements, oppositions, and agreements relating to the use and coexistence of trademarks. At AFS, she served as a primary team leader and manager of that firm’s trademark practice group and managed a number of important client relationships.

Lori B. Cohen has represented Fortune 100 clients in the procurement and protection of well-known trademarks domestically and internationally. She concentrates her practice on all aspects of international and domestic trademark prosecution and international opposition and cancellation proceedings.

Anthony A. Coppola focuses his practice on various intellectual property litigation matters in the federal courts and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He also counsels clients in selecting, clearing, and maintaining international trademarks. He has experience in patent and trademark prosecution and negotiating and drafting intellectual property licensing and coexistence agreements. He has successfully litigated cases in the areas of patent infringement, trademark infringement, theft of trade secrets, trademark counterfeiting, and product liability in jurisdictions across the country.

Erica R. Halstead’s practice is focused on U.S. trademark prosecution, policing, enforcement, clearance, and counseling. This includes practice before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in both opposition and cancellation proceedings. She also has experience in negotiating and preparing assignments, licenses, and coexistence agreements. 

Marie Anne Mastrovito is a former trademark examining attorney with the USPTO. She concentrates her practice on domestic trademark portfolio management, enforcement, and protection, including trademark clearance, trademark prosecution, negotiation of coexistence and settlement agreements, and the representation of clients in opposition and cancellation actions and ex parte appeals before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She has also represented clients in successful appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Media Contacts

Ashley Horne
Chief Marketing Officer
Womble Bond Dickinson
ashley.horne@wbd-us.com

Ashley Kyle
Vice President, Greentarget
akyle@greentarget.com