Firm News

 

Collen IP Sponsors The BLUEPRINT International Showcase
Collen IP is proud to sponsor The BLUEPRINT International Showcase on May 22, 2013. The Showcase is an initiative to enhance Westchester's economy and make it competitive with other regions in the United States. This conference will introduce several foreign businesses to the professional services and other business resources available in Westchester country. As a firm devoted to securing and enforcing intellectual property rights of domestic and international clients, Collen IP is excited to be a part of this inaugural event.

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Collen IP Jess M. Collen Writes White Paper About Trademark Conflict on the Internet
Partner Jess M. Collen has written a white paper about trademark conflict on the Internet, entitled "Comparing the First 15 Years of Domain Name Policy to 1996 Predictions." The full article can be found here.

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Collen IP Partners Named New York Metro Area Super Lawyers
Partners Jess M. Collen and Joshua Paul appeared in the 2012 listing of "New York Metro Area Super Lawyers" in the area of intellectual property. This year's list was published on October 7, 2012 as a supplement to the New York Times Magazine.

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In the past year, advertising campaigns that involve health-related claims have faced an onslaught of legal enforcement within the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the advertising industry's self-regulatory enforcement agency have both publicly investigated companies for claiming health-related benefits, resulting in multi-million dollar penalties in some instances. Class actions have also extracted multi-million dollar judgments from advertisers who made claims that lacked proper substantiation. Now is the time for any company making this category of claims to conduct an audit of its advertising and marketing practices to ensure compliance with United States law. Collen IP advises companies on their advertising campaigns to help avoid enforcement activity and also counsels clients on how to challenge competitors' deceptive advertising. Read article by Kyle-Beth Hilfer "Products Making Health Benefits Claims Face Scrutiny in USA".

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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is continuing to publish the extensive new rules resulting from the major new patent law passed last year.
The law requirements in the new law have different effective dates. The latest rules involve the new requirements for declarations which are effective September 16, 2012. The requirements for when the declaration must be filed, the identification of co-inventors, ability to file applications in name of the owner, and the procedure to handle unavailable inventors has all changed. And there are numerous other provisions of this new law which require changes for patent prosecution in the United States. Collen IP attorneys have attended conferences and trainings on the new rules, and have studied them closely so that we can advise clients on these changes as well as other patent-related matters.

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Collen IP participates in Foodservice Social Media Universe in Chicago
September 16-18, 2012 - Collen IP attorney, Audra Kemp, is in Chicago for the Foodservice Social Media Universe conference. This annual affair, at which Collen IP was also a sponsor and speaker at the 2011 event in San Francisco, is a gathering of restaurant executive and marketing professionals. Collen IP advises clients in this area through its Restaurant & Food Services practice group.

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Govinda M. Davis joins Collen IP
July 2012 -- Govinda M. Davis, joins Collen IP as an Associate with the firm's litigation department. Ms. Davis works on a broad range of matters with the firm's trademark and copyright litigation teams and Internet domain name disputes. Prior to joining Collen IP, Ms. Davis worked at a New Jersey-based law firm that specialized in intellectual property litigation. Ms. Davis graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law.

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Mitchell E. Radin Joins Collen IP
Mitchell E. Radin, a well-known IP and licensing attorney in New York with more than 20 years' experience in the trademark field, joins Collen IP as partner. Mr. Radin counsels clients in the United States and internationally on brand development and strategic planning, protection and commercialization of intellectual property. He advises on trademark selection, adoption, use, and registration, and he handles commercial transactions and ventures involving the development, licensing and commercialization, and sale of trademarks, copyrights, patents, technology and designs. Mr. Radin graduated from Yale Law School and also holds a Masters of Law in trade regulation from New York University School of Law.

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Collen IP Partners Jess Collen and Joshua Paul Selected as 2012 New York Super Lawyers
Jess Collen and Joshua Paul have been selected for inclusion in the publication New York Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters.

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Collen IP to participate in the 134th Annual INTA meeting in Washington, DC
From May 5-9, 2012, seven attorneys from the trademark prosecution and litigation departments at Collen IP will participate in Washington, DC at the annual INTA (International Trademark Association) conference. Joined by more than 9,000 intellectual property professionals from around the world, the meeting features continuing legal education, committee and client meetings. In attendance are Mitchell Radin, Mariana Cana, Thomas Gulick, Jane F. Collen, Jeffrey Lindenbaum, Audra Kemp, and Jess M. Collen. Also at this year's INTA meeting, the INTA Art Gallery will include IPITORIAL cartoons, created by Collen IP partner Jess Collen and featuring the artwork of legal assistant Peter Mulhern.

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Joshua Paul to be a panelist at the U.S. Department of Commerce's "Selling to the BRICs" event
On May 4, 2012, partner Joshua Paul was a featured panelist at the "Selling to the BRICs" event. His panel focused on Managing IPR and Regulatory Issues in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The event, which was organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, provided an opportunity for attendees to learn how to minimize the costs and risks of growing their business in the BRICs while maximizing their profits.

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Jess M. Collen Presents "Above the Bar Award"
April 26, 2012 – As last year's recipient of the prestigious Above the Bar Award for leading intellectual property attorney, Jess M. Collen presented the award to this year's winner. The Above the Bar Awards honors some of the most accomplished attorneys in several categories. Mr. Collen was pleased to make the presentation to one of this year's four recipients. The awards are co-sponsored annually by the collaborative efforts of the legal, educational and business communities, as well as the business media.

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Collen IP partner Don Ranft represents the firm at CONSULEGIS in the Canary Islands
From April 26-29, 2012, partner Don Ranft represented Collen IP at Consulegis' Annual General Meeting and Spring Conference. The conference consisted of industry updates and committee meetings during the day, followed by networking events and receptions in historic locales in the Canary Islands. CONSULEGIS is an international network of independent law firms located across 43 countries and more than 150 cities. In addition to Collen IP's participation in the spring meeting, the firm was a contributor to their newsletter, which can be seen here.

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Kyle-Beth Hilfer to Serve as Judge for 2012 REGGIE Awards
January 2012 – Kyle-Beth Hilfer has been selected to judge the Promotion Marketing Association's 2012 REGGIE Awards. These prestigious awards honor campaigns that promote brands, motivate consumers and accelerate sales.

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Kyle-Beth Hilfer mentioned on Good Morning New York (FOX)
November 11, 2011 – For a news story on the Facebook settlement with the FTC, Kyle-Beth Hilfer was referenced regarding privacy settings and the social networking site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdpXJYdtA-w.

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Collen IP Cases Referenced Throughout International Trademark Association Annual Conference
Ossining, NY, June 1, 2011
Collen IP Intellectual Property Law, P.C., a leading intellectual property law firm, had its presence felt throughout the annual International Trademark Association (INTA) conference in San Francisco. In addition to having several attorneys in attendance, leading table-topic discussions and participating in committee meetings, several of the firm's high-profile cases were referenced during presentations, meetings and receptions.

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Jess M. Collen Receives "Above the Bar Award"
On April 28, 2011, Jess M. Collen was honored as the recipient of the prestigious Above the Bar Award for leading intellectual property attorney. He was recognized as having an accomplished record in the field of intellectual property, and for being well-respected by his peers throughout Westchester County. The award, which is sponsored by the Westchester County Bar Association, Westchester County Business Association, Pace Law School and Citrin Cooperman, is in its fifth year, but leading intellectual property attorney is a new category in which Mr. Collen is the first recipient. Click here for article appearing in the May 9, 2011 issue of the Westchester County Business Journal.

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Kyle-Beth Hilfer quoted on Social Media in New York Times/MetLife E-Newsletter
April 18, 2011 - Kyle-Beth Hilfer was interviewed and quoted about managing employees in social media. You can find the discussion in "Outlook on Benefits," an e-newsletter for human resources and employee benefits managers created in partnership with The New York Times and MetLife. http://bit.ly/gY76s4

Thank you to The New York Times and MetLife for allowing reprint rights on this blog.

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Kyle-Beth Hilfer Joins Collen IP  Of Counsel
Collen IP is proud to announce that Kyle-Beth Hilfer has assumed an of Counsel position with the Firm, effective November, 2010.

Ms. Hilfer holds a B.A. from Yale College (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School (cum laude). Ms. Hilfer specializes in advertising, marketing, and intellectual property law. She has practiced in both large firm environments and independent private practice. With more than twenty years' experience, her practice is focused on advertising and marketing campaigns, including regulatory compliance, review of copy and claim substantiation, comparative advertising claims, advertising aimed at children and direct marketing development including catalog review and telephonic solicitations. In the area of promotional campaigns, Ms. Hilfer stays abreast of the maze of regulations in 50 states. She routinely advises clients on all aspects of sweepstakes, contests, loyalty programs, instant win games, incentives, coupons and rebates. She also advises on specific marketing techniques, such as negative option and advance consent marketing.

Ms. Hilfer is conversant in all aspects of social media and mobile marketing and frequently advises clients on how to use traditional advertising and marketing applications in these new media platforms. Accordingly, she has up to date knowledge of user generated content, behavioral advertising, and privacy issues. Furthermore, she advises clients about how to protect their intellectual property and brand when using these new technologies. Ms. Hilfer is adept at drafting social media engagement policies, tailored to the business needs of clients.

In addition, Ms. Hilfer is an experienced neutral for the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and is experienced with large, complex cases. She has heard cases in a broad range of industries: advertising, electronic retailing, intellectual property, publishing, public relations, talent management, sports management, event management, entertainment, infomercials, and art. Ms. Hilfer is also a member of the City of New York Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Contract Dispute Resolution Board.

Ms. Hilfer currently serves in the Intellectual Property and Alternate Dispute Resolution Sections of the Westchester County Bar Association. She is a guest blogger for the Global Strategic Management Institute's social media blog, and she has been quoted by the media as an expert on social media and advertising law issues. In addition, since 1998, she has served on the Board of Editors for The Intellectual Property Strategist, an American Law Media publication.

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Collen IP's Jess Collen Interviewed by Westchester Business Journal
June 2010 - Collen IP founder Jess M. Collen describes to reporter John Golden for the Westchester County Business Journal current trends in U.S. and international intellectual property rights enforcement. Read the full article on the Westchester County Business Journal web site  Download the article as it appeared in the June 14, 2010 edition of the Westchester County Business Journal.

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Collen IP Named Largest Intellectual Property Firm in Westchester County by Newspaper
July 15, 2010 - According to the 2010 Law Firms List in the "Westchester County Business Journal", Collen IP is the largest IP firm in Westchester County, NY. The "Westchester County Business Journal" also named Collen IP among the 15 largest law firms in the county overall.

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Collen IP's Founding Partner Named Among Top 50 U.S. Trademark Attorneys
July 2010 – Jess M. Collen, founding partner of Collen IP, has been ranked number 13 in the Trademark Insider's annual list. This is the third year in a row that Mr. Collen has been named in the Top 50 in this publication. Since Trademark Insider's list was published, Mr. Collen has been featured in several articles which highlight his accomplishments.

Read the full article on the Westchester County Association web site. Download the article as it appeared in the Gazette.

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Collen IP Named in Top 5 Law Firms
June 2010 – According to a survey in Towergate Software, Collen IP is the fifth most productive IP firm in the nation, recorded by the number of oppositions filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2009.

Read the article as it appeared on the Towergate Software web site.

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Collen IP is pleased to welcome Summer Law Clerks!
June 30, 2010 - Sara Yood just completed her second year at Fordham University School of Law, where she is the Symposium Editor for the Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal as well as a member of the Moot Court Board. Prior to attending law school, Sara worked in music licensing for four years. She is an active member of the Copyright Society of the USA, Farm to Fordham (Fordham Law's eco-focused student group which is growing vegetables on the roof of the school), and is a writer and director of Fordham Follies, the law school's parody musical.

Margaret McInerney is entering her third-year at Fordham University School of Law. She is the Managing Editor of Fordham's Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal and an Associate Editor on Fordham's Moot Court Board. She is currently working on her student note regarding the transfer of tacit knowledge through patent law. Prior to attending law school, Margaret worked as an energy consultant in Washington, DC and received her U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Accreditation. Margaret graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, where she conducted research on run-of-the-river hydroelectricity.

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David Ewen was admitted to the New York State Bar in a ceremony with his peers
June 23, 2010 - Collen IP is proud to join New York State in welcoming David to the Bar and has high hopes for his accomplishments.

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Making A Difference
October 2009 - Collen IP Prosecution Attorney Mariana Cana has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Ossining Food Pantry, responsible for In-Kind donations program an organization whose mission is to feed the hungry. The Ossining Food Pantry is operated by more than 100 volunteers who organize, stock and distribute food to those in dire need. The Ossining Food Pantry is a member of the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and the Homeless and Food-PATCH. It is legally organized as a not-for-profit "public" corporation, and registered with the New York State Board of Charities.

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Collen IP's Newest Attorney, David Ewen
September, 2009 - David Ewen works both in the firm's litigation department, on a variety of matters, including anti-counterfeiting and gray market litigation, as well as in protection of rights in trademarks, and proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, including trademark oppositions and cancellations. He also is involved in licensing and other issues regarding use and protection of all forms of intellectual property rights.

Mr. Ewen is a graduate of Vassar College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, with a minor in Latin. David received his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal. He was also awarded first prize by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) at the law school's Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition, for his paper on copyright law entitled: A New Chapter for the Library Project: Google's Fair Use Defense Before and After Settlement.

Prior to attending law school, David began his career as an intellectual property paralegal at Collen IP, and also worked on a range of Intellectual Property law issues at the firm as a law clerk during his final year of law school.

David is admitted to the Connecticut state bar and he has been approved for admission to the New York state bar.

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10 Years in the Making
October 2009 - Collen IP enthusiastically celebrated ten years of service for three of its valued team members last month. The anniversary was marked by a firm wide waffle and topping breakfast and Champagne toast to all three - Linda Cimillo, Mariana Cana and Mary Lou Wheeler. Linda is the firm's head of accounting and billing, Mariana is the firm's Trademark Department manager and Mary Lou is a valued administrator and legal assistant.

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Collen IP Rises to the Occasion
Partner Jeffrey Lindenbaum was recently quoted in the October 2008 issue of Atlantic Monthly, explaining different approaches to obtaining enforceable Intellectual Property rights in the highly competitive baking and bread industry. It is often difficult to protect a party's recipes, creations and reputation. It is our intention to bring clarity and increased protection for all our clients and their Intellectual Properties. In particular, the article discusses the possibility of obtaining trademark rights by establishing "secondary meaning" of an otherwise descriptive mark. The article featured Collen IP client Sullivan Street Bakery's efforts to protect and enforce the Intellectual Property rights related to its widely popular bread, baked goods and other culinary products.

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Litigator Joshua Paul Joins Collen IP
Joshua Paul has joined Collen IP as Of Counsel. Joshua is an experienced litigator and trial attorney. He represents clients in trademark, copyright, trade secret and general business disputes. Joshua is active in professional associations and organized bar groups. He has chaired American Bar Association committees on the trademark counterfeiting statute and on trademark litigation, and has served on the editorial board of The Trademark Reporter published by the International Trademark Association.

In 2007, Joshua was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in recognition of his leadership and contribution to the legal profession. Membership in the Fellows is limited to one third of one percent of all attorneys licensed to practice in a given State. He also has been selected for inclusion in New York Super Lawyers – Metro Edition (2007, 2008), published as a supplement in the New York Times Magazine.

Joshua is a graduate of Yale College (1981) and Northwestern University School of Law (1984).

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Jeffrey A. Lindenbaum Assumes Partnership Level Position
May 2008 - Collen IP is proud to announce that Jeffrey A. Lindenbaum has assumed a partnership level position in the firm, effective May 1, 2008. Having been a member of the International Trademark Association and the Intellectual Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, Mr. Lindenbaum focuses on litigation including obtaining and defending injunctions, internet disputes, trademark misuse, and ex parte seizures of counterfeit products. Mr. Lindenbaum has appeared and argued patent, trademark and copyright matters in Federal District Courts in New York, Michigan, Nevada and Florida. He also has extensive experience before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Mr. Lindenbaum received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Binghamton University and his Juris Doctorate Degree from University at Buffalo Law School. Jeff is admitted to practice in the State of New York as well as the Southern, Eastern, Western and Northern Districts of New York, the Eastern District of Michigan and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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Thomas P. Gulick Assumes Senior Associate Level Position
May 2008 - Collen IP is proud to announce that Thomas P. Gulick has assumed a senior associate level position in the firm, effective May 1, 2008. Mr. Gulick’s work entails the prosecution of copyright and trademark applications. Tom has counseled both international and domestic clients in matters pertaining to copyright infringement, trade secrets, arbitration, mediation, domain name disputes and other intellectual property matters. In addition, Tom has overseen and coordinated many oppositions both in the United States and internationally and is experienced with U.S. Customs seizures. He has filed appeals with the Copyright Office Board of Review, petitions to cancel copyright registrations with the Copyright Office and is actively involved in trademark and copyright litigations including depositions and appeals in federal courts. Mr. Gulick received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston College in Communications and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Wake Forest University. During law school, as an intern for the City of Philadelphia Law Department (Intellectual Property Unit) he worked on trademark and copyright infringement disputes, as well as domain name issues. While at Wake Forest University, Mr. Gulick was an editor for the Wake Forest University Intellectual Property Journal. In addition, he worked extensively in administrative law and the notice and comment rulemaking process of the General Service Administration of the U.S. Government. Tom is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. He is also admitted in the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York and the Ninth Circuit.

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Donald J. Ranft Assumes Partnership Level Position
April 2005 - Collen IP is proud to announce that Donald J. Ranft has assumed a partnership level position in the firm, effective March 30, 2005. Having been registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Reg No. 53,510), Mr. Ranft focuses on the prosecution and enforcement of patent rights in both the Patent Office and Federal Courts of the United States. Don actively manages the firm’s domestic and foreign patent practice from invention development, through application filing and issuance, and the subsequent protection of intellectual property rights through licensing, and in the courts. In addition to his legal experience, Don held positions in a number of industries including the chemical, utility, nuclear power, and transportation sectors. He has an extensive engineering background, and experience managing engineering facilities and personnel in these industries. A longstanding, active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the American Nuclear Society, he has been responsible for developing numerous IEEE standards. Mr. Ranft received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Seton Hall University. Don is a member of the New Jersey State Bar and admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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Collen IP Ranked #91 on NameProtect's Trademark Insider
December 2003 - Collen IP ranked as one of the top one hundred trademark law firms in the United States in Trademark Insider for 2003, in the third quarter. Attorney Jess M. Collen was also ranked number 13 of America's Top Trademark Attorneys.

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Collen IP Trademark Award Winner for Year 2002
April 2003 – Jess M. Collen, a founding partner of Collen IP Intellectual Property Law PC, is a NameProtect Trademark Insider Award recipient for the year 2002, ranking among the nation’s top 10 trademark attorneys. These annual awards are granted by NameProtect to leading trademark attorneys and law firms on a national basis, as recognized in NameProtect’s latest edition of its quarterly NameProtect Trademark Insider™ report. The report provides the general business and legal industries with insight into trademark filing and trademark industry activities.

Further, the firm Collen IP was again ranked among the nation’s top 100 firms in 2002 trademark office activity and in the top 10 among all U.S. firms of 20 lawyers or less for the second consecutive year.

The Trademark Insider Award is granted to those attorneys and law firms that filed the most number of new trademark applications with United States Patent and Trademark Office during calendar year 2002.

This news was also reported in Westchester County Business Journal.

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Collen IP Announces Affiliation with the Boston Area Law Firm Daly, Crowley & Mofford
March 2003 - Collen IP is pleased to announce that effective March 1, 2003, we have entered into an affiliation with the Boston area law firm Daly, Crowley & Mofford. The firms will enjoy the combined resources of over 20 intellectual property attorneys with well-recognized skills in all areas of intellectual property law, including patent and trademark prosecution, a nationwide IP litigation practice, and IP management and counseling services. "We are thrilled to add the expertise of Daly, Crowley & Mofford", says Jess Collen. "Their strongly focused patent prosecution team is the perfect compliment to our own strengths in IP litigation, trademark and copyright prosecution and counseling. This affiliation was facilitated by the fact that Daly, Crowley & Mofford are people who combine great skill with great character. We are enthusiastically looking forward to providing the superior level of service to all of our national and international clients that this affiliation will afford."

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Collen IP is a full-service intellectual property law firm and consultancy that specializes in all phases of IP law, including trademarks, copyright, patents, and internet/e-commerce issues. Collen IP’s litigation department litigates intellectual property cases throughout the country and in international tribunals on behalf of its domestic and global clients. For further information, please contact us.