Sherri L Eastley

Silver - Individuals

The IP boutique founded by trademark luminaries Louis Pirkey and Bill Barber maintains its market-leading presence in Texas, with the state’s deepest dedicated trademark bench and one of the most sophisticated practices in the country. The team attracts near-unanimous praise for its service and the quality of its work. Christopher Weimer is a leader on the contentious side, though he is also a dexterous and strategic portfolio manager. One differentiator is his fluency in Spanish, which gives him a firm handle on litigations and investigations which originate south of the border and a leg-up when it comes to coordinating multi-jurisdictional disputes. “For trademark work, I send everyone to Tyson Smith; he is excellent. I have nothing but good things to say about him. His work is extremely high quality, he is prompt, and he is efficient. In my opinion, he is one of the best trademark attorneys in the state (and likely the country). I cannot recommend him highly enough.” Shannon Vale boasts over 30 years’ experience in trademark and copyright matters, and has been ranked in the WTR 1000 every year since it began publishing. An industry leader, Vale advises on every feature of their trademark portfolios, including enforcement strategies and opposition and cancellation proceedings at the TTAB. In every venue and practice area to which he turns his hand Vale comes out successful. On the other side of the experience spectrum, with only three years on the outfit’s management committee, Jered Matthysse is already a veteran of a large number of trademark disputes. A tenacious tactician, Matthysse has taken in all the right lessons from Pirkey Barber’s senior bench, and is well on his way to becoming a market leader in Texas. The highly responsive and client-centric Alicia Morris Groos focuses her offering on the management of US and global trademark portfolios. She offers sage counsel on selection and clearance, and strategic advice to avoid litigation, including expertise in licensing and coexistence agreements. She has also assisted with trademark litigation and false advertising enforcement actions. Wendy Larson handles complex litigations with ease, thanks to her ability to digest and distil large quantities of detailed information. Her specialty is internet issues, and the brand challenges the internet presents. She has fought battles involving cybersquatting, social media, keyword advertising, service provider liability and personal jurisdiction issues which cross borders. “Steven Espenshade acts like an extension of our in-house team. His advice is practical, well reasoned, and he is always thinking several steps ahead. One of my favourite attributes is that he’s very proactive. There are instances where I’ve seen him keep up on our corporate news and suggest or even proactively take steps in view of that news, in light of prior strategic discussions. He knows what we like and before we can even send instructions, he will suggest taking various steps just as we would have instructed.” For strategic trademark counselling around the world, Sherri Eastley is a top-notch choice. She has deep insight into trademark and related legal issues involving licensing, sponsorship, professional athlete agreements and all facets of branding, from product configuration to global portfolios. Her clientele base spans an equally dizzying array of industries, from fashion to charities to professional sports. Christopher Kindel handles licensing and transactional matters as they relate to trademarks. From due diligence on trademark-rich M&As, to strategic counselling on multi-jurisdictional enforcement matters, Kindel is a fount of wisdom on trademark law. “I am delighted with the stellar work of Anna Kuhn. She coordinates with local counsel around the world on our behalf and provides us with practical, timely advice. She is a sounding board when I need a second opinion on clearance searches, assists with our trademark filings and prosecution strategies, and works closely with us on our contentious trademark matters. Over the past few years our brand has rapidly expanded, and Anna has been able to provide trademark support for our growth every step of the way. I would recommend Anna to any company that is looking for a seasoned trademark practitioner with a business-oriented mindset.” Versatile portfolio manager Megan Bradshaw has excellent communication skills which she puts to work for patrons at home and abroad. She has keen insight into ways to leverage portfolios in order to get the most value out of assets. Her clients include universities, personal care product companies, video game makers and insurance providers, to name only a few. “After meeting Travis Wimberly, I was immediately confident he was the right person to handle the trial. Travis distilled three years’ worth of legal documents and depositions into the most salient points and legal positions. During a three-day bench, Travis and his team put on a masterclass in IP litigation. He and the Pirkey Barber team ran circles around the opposing counsel. Afterwards, we have retained Travis as our primary IP attorney, and I could not be happier with the legal work and guidance we receive from Travis and everyone at Pirkey Barber. If one was to award stars, I’d put Travis Wimberly down for 10.” “Alexandra Bistline is one of the most well-respected rising stars in the area of contentious trademark matters. Her mind is razor sharp, and her experience and skills have consistently shone against some of the toughest opponents. Alex is unflappable and unafraid when other lawyers have attempted to strong-arm or bully her. Her deep experience and understanding of emerging law make her a standout among her peers. I fully endorse Alex’s ability to effectively represent clients’ best interests. We look forward to watching Alex’s continued growth as one of the nation’s top trademark litigators and are so grateful she’s on our speed dial to defend our most important brand assets. A lot of things keep us up at night but not the matters on Alex’s watch.” “For many years, we have counted on Steve Meleen to handle our most complex and contentious matters. Steve’s deep insight of the law and enforcement experience have been invaluable to us. He projects an effective and measured confidence, and is a great thinking partner. When it comes to bet-the-brand litigation, there are few attorneys in the United States who possess the same skill set and success rate.” Strategic counselling and enforcement wizard Michael Metteauer is an expert in non-traditional marks and internet issues. His practice is grounded in intimate familiarity with his patrons’ businesses and providing cost-effective, tailor-made solutions to their most pressing problems.