Kate’s practice encompasses a broad range of intellectual property and advertising matters. She counsels clients on trademark clearance and strategy, including assisting them with filing new trademark applications and maintaining their trademark portfolios worldwide. She also manages intellectual property policing and enforcement matters for numerous clients at all stages of such disputes. Her litigation experience includes both federal court and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings. Kate has extensive experience with internet-related trademark and copyright issues, such as social media account disputes, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) claims, and domain name disputes, including Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution (UDRP) actions.
Additionally, she provides legal and business assistance to clients regarding their branding and marketing needs. Kate regularly works with clients to clear and ensure compliance of marketing and promotional material. Kate has particular expertise with social media marketing, including brand ambassador or influencer issues. She also helps clients appropriately structure promotions, such as sales, coupons, rebates, sweepstakes, and contest campaigns. Kate has also assisted clients in responding to inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission regarding advertisements and in assessing competitor claims of false advertising under the Lanham Act. She additionally negotiates and drafts agreements relating to client promotional needs, including agency agreements, product placement agreements, talent appearance agreements, and trademark, copyright, and right of publicity licenses.
For several years, Kate spent approximately half her time in the offices of a client, embedded with its marketing and intellectual property legal team. In that role, she reviewed countless pieces of marketing collateral and counseled business clients and vendor partners regarding specific promotions. Kate continues to work closely with the client team in her capacity as outside counsel.
Kate currently serves on the International Trademark Association (INTA) Young Practitioner’s Committee. She has served on that Committee since 2016, previously serving as a member of the INTA Rights of Publicity Committee. Her past INTA experience includes service as the chair of the Young Practitioner's Programming Committee and on the Internet Committee. Additionally, she served as Co-Chair of the Women in IP Committee for the Intellectual Property Association of Chicago (IPLAC) from 2013–2018, and as a member of the IPLAC Board of Managers from 2016–2018. She remains active with IPLAC and its Women in IP Committee.
Kate also represents children in contested guardianship proceedings as a pro bono guardian ad litem, and serves on the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Board of Directors.