Firm and Five Attorneys Named World Leading Trademark Professionals
MINNEAPOLIS (February 6, 2019) – Gray Plant Mooty and its trademark attorneys are once again recognized as global industry leaders, according to the World Trademark Review® (WTR). Gray Plant Mooty and five of its attorneys — Jennifer Debrow, Ashley Bennett Ewald, Dean Eyler, Sheldon Klein, and Lori Wiese-Parks — are included in the 2019 edition of WTR 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.
In the annual ranking, Gray Plant Mooty was one of only nine firms named to the United States: Minnesota list. In the Minnesota jurisdiction, only Gray Plant Mooty and one other firm had five or more lawyers make the list. Recognized as a venerable Minneapolis law firm, the Gray Plant Mooty intellectual property team was said to be “a repository of trust for companies with large IP portfolios in need of international protection. Among the prestigious brands to which it provides ongoing and global portfolio management and strategic support are Campbell’s Soup Company, International Dairy Queen and Radisson Hospitality.”
In the Minnesota-firm ranking narrative, WTR also said: “They come for Jennifer Debrow and Ashley Bennett Ewald, both all-rounders with excellent connections worldwide. Chair of the IP, technology and privacy group Debrow comes in for particularly extensive praise from clients: ‘She manages all matters efficiently and cost effectively, and whenever there’s a complex problem, she thinks creatively to solve it. She has established a powerful team to support her.’ Peers admire her, too: ‘She’s not a slash-and-burn attorney who won’t give an inch – she’s firm, but always has business interests at the forefront of her mind. She’s a real common-sense operator.’”
Ashley Bennett Ewald was praised as one who “garners wholehearted recommendations as a ‘responsive, enthusiastic attorney and clear thinker.’”
Lori Wiese-Parks, WTR said, is “another name for the address book.” Wiese-Parks “thrives in general counsel-type roles for her clients, thanks to her commercial law background; she is great at IP transactions, as well.”
Noted for being “extremely busy” on the litigation front, WTR mentioned the team’s success in the fact that it “put to bed an important dispute between its client non-profit healthcare provider HealthPartners and Walmart. HealthPartners had significantly invested in a new logo design, which Walmart then alleged had infringed on the Sam’s Club logo mark; several CEOs and experts were deposed on the path to a favourable settlement.” Lauded for his litigation leadership, Dean Eyler was praised as “an exemplary brief writer and persuasive oral advocate.”
In the Washington, D.C. Metro area, Sheldon Klein was recognized for his role as president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and noted to be “knowledgeable about all things trademark, but a particular authority on copyright and advertising law.”
WTR 1000 is viewed as the definitive resource for legal trademark expertise. The rankings are based on qualitative research to identify the firms and individuals deemed outstanding in this critical area of practice. To identify the leading firms, factors such as depth of expertise, market presence and the level of work are all taken into account along with peer and client feedback.
About Gray Plant Mooty
Gray Plant Mooty is recognized as one of the leading corporate law firms in Minnesota and one of the top franchise firms in the world. The firm’s attorneys and staff provide exceptional client service and value, and comprehensive legal services on a regional, national, and global basis. Gray Plant Mooty is a full-service law firm with offices in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and North Dakota. Gray Plant Mooty’s roots date back to 1866. Learn more at www.gpmlaw.com.