PRACTICE AREAS

The Intellectual Property Department of Eckert Seamans engages in the full spectrum of practice in this specialized area of the law, including United States and foreign patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition law, and the negotiation, preparation and enforcement of a wide variety of related agreements including license, assignment, consulting, employment, nondisclosure and joint venture agreements, as well as college and university intellectual property policies.  The department has the backing and resources of a full-service law firm with more than 275 attorneys who can be called upon on behalf of clients whose needs relate to a number of other areas of the law.

Members of this department have substantial experience in virtually every area of intellectual property law.  Their work includes patentability evaluations; patent validity and infringement studies; preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign patent applications; trademark and service mark portfolio management, as well as screening; preparation and prosecution of domestic and foreign trademark and service mark applications; trademark and service mark opposition and cancellation proceedings; domain name disputes; protection of copyrights, including registration; unfair competition matters including advertising issues, protection against counterfeit goods and marks, and misappropriation of trade dress; the protection of trade secret rights, including employment issues; enforcement of and defense against claims of infringement of intellectual property rights; evaluation and transfer of intellectual property assets in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; and intellectual property disputes, including litigation. 

These activities on the patent side have involved a broad spectrum of technical subjects in the chemical, electrical, mechanical, medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, computer and metallurgical arts, from the very complex to low-technology disciplines as well as a wide variety of commercial fields.  For example, the department has done extensive work involving computer technology, mechanical and electro-mechanical systems, packaging, medical devices, chemical compounds and processes, and maintaining and enforcing market exclusivity.  On the trademark/copyright side, these activities have involved a broad spectrum of consumer and professional products, ranging from pharmaceuticals and chemicals to staffing services, retail apparel sales, grocery products and insurance and banking.  Department attorneys have substantial experience in advertising, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, franchising, retail, publishing, arts, sports and entertainment law, as well as in providing general counsel.  Members of the department practice in many forums, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Copyright Office, foreign patent offices and their appellate boards, state and federal courts throughout the country, and the International Trade Commission.

The department draws on, as needed, the skills and experience of other attorneys of Eckert Seamans in such matters as corporate, financing, tax, antitrust, labor, employee benefits, government contracting, administrative agency, legislative and environmental law to develop an integrated strategy appropriate for each client's circumstances.  In significant intellectual property litigation matters, Intellectual Property department lawyers team with experienced litigators from the firm's Litigation department.

Members of the department have, through education and experience, attained a broad-based, high level of technical and legal skill, and are adept at providing services to clients of all sizes with a wide diversity of needs.  Many have years of in-house corporate experience.