My clients range from multi-state and international entities to individual creators and solo-preneurs. Every client has unique goals, so I take the time up-front to listen to and learn from them. Are they seeking a new revenue stream, launching a new product, or expanding into a new geographic market? Having a holistic picture of the client’s broad objectives helps me tailor the most effective advice for long-term returns.
Tom Dunn has a unique corporate law practice combining trademark and copyright law with licensing and contracts. In his trademark practice, Tom conducts pre-filing screening searches, prepares and files applications and maintains timely renewals, and prosecutes those registrations. Tom represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office in opposition and cancellation proceedings. He regularly counsels clients in adversarial matters from pre-litigation to the final outcome, whether in the form of a judicial decision or a settlement agreement.
In the realm of copyrights, Tom’s practice involves registering creative visual designs that clients use in combination with their word marks to present a visually distinctive brand. This extends to registering other types of works, including written works (such as musical works and software), visual works (such as videos and artwork), and audio works (such as sound recordings).
Tom’s practice involves other IP-related matters, as well. He assists clients with domain name matters, including selling and acquiring domain names, and resolving disputes under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). Tom also advises clients in issues that arise on social media platforms, such as resolving trademark infringement issues by leveraging policies promulgated by platform owners, issuing takedown notices under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to remove posts by third parties that infringe a client’s copyright, and other issues affecting his clients’ increasingly critical social media campaigns.
Having started his career as a licensing attorney more than 25 years ago, Tom takes a nuanced approach to structuring partnership, non-compete, and non-disclosure agreements, software development contracts, and other IP-related documents. His experience also includes navigating intercompany agreements involving manufacturing, distribution, strategic alliance, e-commerce, and other commercial agreements.
As an English major, Tom considers himself a “word junkie,” which serves him well as a trademark lawyer. His work can turn on the connotations and meanings of certain terms, and he enjoys delving into those meanings to protect and advance his clients’ interests. Never one to be unnecessarily adversarial, he looks for compromise and amicable resolution any time it serves his clients’ needs. He invests time and energy into meaningful client relationships, and that approach has led many clients to trust him with their matters across the tenure of his career.
Prior to practicing law, Tom spent four years in active duty with the United States Marine Corps and seven years in Harvard University’s Office for Information Technology. The Marines instilled in Tom both discipline and the confidence to excel under pressure. His later experience at Harvard exposed him to creative branding and complex licensing agreements with the world’s leading technology companies.