Tore T. DeBella

Trademarks – Managing Global Portfolios

Tore manages trademark portfolios through the entire brand life cycle — from selection and adoption of a brand through registration and enforcement. He manages domestic and international portfolios of all sizes and is accustomed to working closely with clients to develop cost-effective brand strategies.

Trademarks – Contentious Matters

When matters turn contentious, Tore handles cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in federal courts. His contentious matters experience spans a wide range of intellectual property and IP-adjacent subject areas, including trademark and copyright infringement, anti-counterfeiting, anti-cybersquatting, domain name disputes, and more.

Representative Experience

• Represented descendant of renowned oceanographer in complex multi-jurisdictional challenge to use their common surname
• Represented Native American petitioners seeking cancellation of the federal trademark registrations owned by the Washington, D.C. professional football team in landmark litigation receiving national press coverage
• Represented global musical instrument manufacturer in litigation regarding the shapes and names of iconic guitars popularized by the Rolling Stones and other rock icons
• Assisted the government of a U.S. state in acquiring domain names belonging to its emergency management agency from overseas cybersquatters

Advertising and Consumer Promotions

Tore also regularly helps clients navigate the complex legal landscape governing sweepstakes, contests, commercial co-ventures, customer loyalty programs, social media influencer campaigns and activations, and other types of consumer promotions that are increasingly taking place in real time digital contexts. He counsels clients on marketing campaigns to help identify regulatory and other risks related to false advertising, claim substantiation and third-party intellectual property. If something touches in any way upon the consumer experience, chances are that Tore has helped clients with it.

Personal Interests

Tore enjoys everything outdoors, and most other things that circumvent a desk. Tore is a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, but he promises not to talk about it … unless you want to.