Bruce A McDonald

Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu PC was founded in New York in 1969 by a group of leading international trademark lawyers who shared a commitment to provide premium client service and be the best in their field. They set out to challenge the business model of the larger, well-established firms by providing the highest level of international trademark advice at a reasonable cost. Today, Fross Zelnick is a law firm of nearly 50 attorneys from diverse backgrounds.

According to surveys of in-house and outside counsel in our field, Fross Zelnick is considered the premier firm in the world for trademark, copyright, design patent and unfair competition law, and is probably the largest law firm dealing exclusively with this subject matter. Our lawyers are also consistently recognised by numerous publications around the world as experts in the field.

Because we offer clients comparable strength in both US and international work (a rarity in our field) and maintain active relationships with leading practitioners around the globe, we are uniquely positioned to help owners of worldwide trademark portfolios to establish, maintain, protect and make profitable use of their trademark rights. All of our attorneys are trademark experts and each is an in-depth specialist in at least one area of trademark and unfair competition law.

Litigate IP rights

Fross Zelnick stands alone in the top tier of trademark and copyright litigation firms in the United States. Our reputation for successful litigation often leads to disputes being settled without court proceedings. When litigation is unavoidable, our litigators know how to fight for clients and win. Internationally, Fross Zelnick has broad experience in foreign and multi-country trademark and copyright litigation and a history of success in recapturing pirated well-known marks.

Register trademarks, copyright and design patents

Fross Zelnick is consistently among the top filers of US trademark applications. We can register our clients’ trademarks, copyrights and design patents. Our specialised knowledge in this area means that we know how to get the job done efficiently and obtain rights that will stand up in court.

Combat counterfeiting

We are highly experienced in anti-counterfeiting and enforcement matters. Fross Zelnick has developed sophisticated, cost-effective enforcement programmes for our clients to prevent the importation, sale and distribution of a wide variety of infringing or counterfeit products, including apparel, footwear, cosmetics and luxury goods. Included in these programmes is the recordal of relevant IP rights with Customs in the United States and internationally.

Manage global portfolios

We are known for providing expert global IP management. Working closely with our select network of foreign counsel, Fross Zelnick protects IP rights in the United States and throughout the world. Our experience enables us to identify, protect and defend clients’ rights under copyright, trademark, trade dress, design patent, trade secret and related laws.

Negotiate IP transactions

Whether a client is buying or selling an entire business or part of a portfolio, Fross Zelnick can negotiate licences and related agreements that safeguard our clients’ business and legal interests. We conduct due diligence reviews for mergers, acquisitions and other corporate ventures, and record the corporate changes against our clients’ IP registrations worldwide once the deal is done.

Protect characters and celebrities

For decades, Fross Zelnick lawyers have protected famous entertainment characters through sophisticated copyright protection strategies and enforcement against infringers. We have also retrieved numerous infringing or disparaging trademarks and domain names for celebrities, and litigated high-profile cases involving the unauthorised use of well-known names and likenesses.

Conquer the Internet

Internet law is evolving as rapidly as the medium itself and much of it is rooted in trademark and copyright law. Our lawyers litigate Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy proceedings against cybersquatters, advise on worldwide domain name registration and disputes, monitor the Web for infringement, negotiate linking and keyword agreements, draft privacy policies and develop strategies for policing and protecting IP rights on the Internet.