Faegre Drinker Intellectual Property Team, Partners Recognized for Excellence in World Trademark Review 1000

Faegre Drinker’s legacy firms — Faegre Baker Daniels and Drinker Biddle & Reath — were both recognized in the annual World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, for 2020. Now in its tenth year, the WTR 1000 “shines a spotlight on the firms and individuals that are deemed outstanding in this critical area of practice.”

Intellectual Property teams in Colorado, the District of Columbia, Indiana and Minnesota were identified as standouts. Among the ranked lawyers were Faegre Drinker partners Emily A. Bayton, Darren S. Cahr, Amie Peele Carter, Jennifer L. Dean, Stephanie A. Gumm, Louis T. Perry, James J. Saul and James R. Steffen.

Colorado

Faegre Baker Daniels received a bronze ranking as a practice in the state, with the WTR 1000 noting the addition of partner Emily Bayton in 2019. The publication said, “As it has in other parts of the country, Faegre Baker Daniels has been making moves in Colorado – in May 2019 it unveiled Emily Bayton as its new local signing – and this year debuts in the WTR 1000 rankings for the state. The firm looks to have made an inspired choice in Bayton; ‘Emily is a seasoned trademark practitioner who provides extremely well-thought out advice alongside an unparalleled client service. It is always plainly evident that she cares – it’s something that distinguishes her from her peers in the field.’ With her broad and international IP protection and management expertise and litigation know-how, she fits in well in an integrated cross-office group that covers all the bases for brand owners.”

District of Columbia

In metropolitan Washington, D.C., Drinker Biddle & Reath was recognized as a top firm for prosecution and strategy, with the practice receiving a bronze ranking and partner Jennifer Dean being individually recognized. WTR 1000 said, “Drinker Biddle & Reath collaborates closely with clients across the trademark lifecycle. Its lawyers are not just in the job of filing trademark applications but are vital strategic and business partners from the earliest stages of product and brand ideation. Lawyers such as Jennifer Dean, who chairs the trademark group, are accustomed to taking calls from CEOs for spontaneous advice on the broader direction in which they are heading and how to use their intangible rights to achieve their goals in rapidly changing markets. Dean is an accomplished team leader and works closely with other excellent partners – Chicago’s Ira Kalina, for example – to offer large brands the complete range of services.”

Illinois

Partners Darren Cahr and James Saul were both recognized for excellence in the state by WTR 1000. The publication said that Cahr “demonstrates impressive thought leadership and writes extensively on diverse topics such as privacy and the impact of technology on trademark law. Brand owners love to bring him in on the ground floor to design long-term strategies for effective rights protection; he receives calls from CEOs about how to leverage their brands in rapidly changing and highly competitive markets.” Saul, they said, “is a go-to in Chicago for expertise in anti-counterfeiting, especially in the pharmaceutical space. He is steeped in international legal practice and is rigorous, strategic and organized in taking the fight to fakers at a global level.”

Indiana

The WTR 1000 recognized our legacy Faegre Baker Daniels Indiana practice with a gold ranking — their top designation. In addition, three Faegre Drinker partners were individually recommended. The publication said, “A mastery of trademark, copyright, advertising and media law enables Faegre Baker Daniels to supply satisfyingly holistic counsel to rights holders and solve any brand-related conundrum. The firm’s integrated national trademark group manages nearly 15,000 trademark records and sees to the successful resolution of many infringement cases. A powerful engine of the practice, the Indianapolis team of Stephanie Gumm, Amie Peele Carter and Louis Perry is extremely capable and efficient. Highly organized, Gumm is a repository of trust for patrons because she gets things done; helping companies grow their brands internationally and increase their influence on the global stage is her metier. Peele Carter ‘can answer any trademark question you can throw at her’ and is a ‘top-quality lawyer’ with a sophisticated feel for the key trademark issues of the day. Perry is the Indy set’s leading IP trial lawyer.”

Minnesota

Faegre Baker Daniels was ranked as a practice in Minnesota as well, in the silver band, with the WTR 1000 identifying partner James Steffen as one of the top trademark lawyers in the country (individually ranking him in their top tier for both enforcement and litigation and prosecution and strategy). They said, “Proficient in all aspects of trademark practice as well as marketing, advertising, media and copyright law, Faegre Baker Daniels brings comfort to, and inspires confidence in, busy in-house professionals who are under pressure from management and have too much on their plates. James Steffen’s presence gives the firm instant credibility in Minnesota. Steffen has long served as Target Corporation’s primary outside trademark counsel and was a key player in the formation of Target Brands, the company’s brand management subsidiary; he is also a rock for other market-leading companies headquartered in Minnesota. An experienced portfolio manager, superb strategist, astute litigator and advertising authority, Steffen is one of the best trademark lawyers in the country.”