Overview
Cheryl focuses her practice on counseling and advising clients on a wide range of U.S. and international intellectual property matters, including branding strategies, selection, clearance, prosecution, enforcement and management of worldwide trademark portfolios. With over two decades of experience, Cheryl has demonstrated experience in connection with developing, using, registering, licensing, and enforcing trademarks and copyrights. Her experience encompasses both trademark prosecution and litigation, including representing clients in proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) as well as opposition and cancellation proceedings before various foreign trademark offices.
Within her trademark counseling practice, Cheryl advises clients and international associates on branding strategies and understanding the business and legal risks associated with the adoption, use, and registration of trademarks both domestically and around the world. From selection and clearance, to protection and enforcement, she works closely with clients of all sizes to establish, build, and protect company brands. She also handles copyright protection, prosecution, registration and enforcement issues, and social media and internet matters.
In addition to branding matters, clients rely on Cheryl to address complex trademark and copyright issues, including ownership and validity questions, domain name matters, the use or misuse of trademarks in social media, right of publicity, unfair competition, and fair use issues. She is adept at accurately identifying IP risks and opportunities in contested matters and corporate transactions alike, delivering strategic, practical advice with an emphasis on the client’s business needs and reasonable outcomes.
Cheryl has negotiated and drafted intellectual property agreements including license, settlement, consent and coexistence agreements.
There are very few industries that Cheryl does not touch. Clients in industries ranging from consumer goods and services to high-tech and life sciences rely on Cheryl for her strategic counseling.
Cheryl has also assisted major New England universities with obtaining trademark and copyright protection.
Experience
- Assist pharmaceutical companies with obtaining FDA approval for drug names
- Instrumental in defending pharmaceutical drug name infringement and resulting sale of business to plaintiff
- Advises clients on clearance, selection, use, registration and enforcement of trademarks and trade names.
- Assists clients with the acquisition, sale and assignment of trademark and copyright rights.
- Performs due diligence in the sale and acquisition of Intellectual Property Rights.
- Negotiated license with major television network for trademark use on bottled water.
- Worked with U.S. Customs to create program for seizures of counterfeit goods for various companies.
- Created and updated privacy policies and terms of use for various companies.
- Successfully defended and prosecuted trademark and copyright infringement claims for one of the largest infomercial companies.
- Secured transfer of numerous internet domain names through arbitration (UDRP) proceedings.
- Assisted clients in obtaining copyright protection for software, sound readings, literary publications, graphical artwork, board games and television programs.
Case Studies
Credentials
- Suffolk University Law School (J.D. 2002)
- Suffolk University (B.S. 1995)
- Massachusetts
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2019 – 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Trademark Law.
- Recognized by Chambers USA America’s Leading Business Lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property.
Leave Your Mark: How to Protect Your Brand with Trademarks
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- Member, International Trademark Association.
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association.
- Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association.
- Past Board Member, Trinity Repertory Company.
- Board Member, Companion Animal Foundation.
- Past Chairperson, North Kingstown School Committee.
