Introduction

Laura is a senior associate in Fredrikson & Byron’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Laura handles a variety of patent, trademark, copyright, false advertising, and trade secret disputes. Laura has successfully argued in both state and federal court and has briefed matters before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Laura has been involved with all aspects of patent litigation from pre-suit investigation to appellate review. Laura has experience handling trademark disputes in state and federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Laura also has experience defending against false advertising claims under the Lanham Act and is familiar with advertising claims brought before the NAD and the FTC.

Education

• University of Iowa, J.D., 2006, with distinction
• Illinois Wesleyan University, B.A., 2003, magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota, 2006
• United States District Court, District of Minnesota, 2006
• United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2007
• Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, 2008

Practice Areas

• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Litigation
• Advertising, Marketing & Trademark Law
• Non-Competes & Trade Secrets

Representative Experience

Trademark

• Laura defended a record label in an opposition proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Laura helped the client negotiate a favorable settlement that allowed the client to continue to use its trademark in its desired field.
• Laura represented a restaurant franchisor in a trademark infringement case against a competitor. When correspondence with the competitor went unanswered, Laura filed a trademark infringement action in federal court. The defendant quickly agreed to a consent judgment and payment of a confidential sum.

Patent

• Laura tried the damages portion of a patent infringement case venued in the District of Nebraska. The only remaining issues at trial were damages, willfulness and the validity of the patents-in-suit. The opponent sought a 20% royalty as infringement damages. Laura convinced the jury to reject the opponent's excessive rate and impose a royalty less than the client had offered to stipulate to earlier in the case.

• Laura was a member of the victorious trial team in a patent infringement case venued in the Eastern District of Texas. Our client, a manufacturer of display stands, faced an opponent seeking $65 million in damages, plus enhanced damages and attorneys fees. The client was thrilled when the jury rejected the exorbitant amount sought by its opponent and reached a damages verdict far less than what the opponent demanded in settlement discussions. 

• Laura was a member of the trial team that successfully represented a company against one of its former producers. The former producer had secretly developed and begun selling a competing product, in violation of the parties’ Production Agreement. At trial, the jury awarded the client damages for sales of the competing product, enjoined further production and sale of the competing product, and the client was awarded the patent rights associated with the competing product.

Trade Secret

• Laura represented an employer in a trade secret dispute with its former employee. Laura successfully brought a motion for a temporary restraining order and helped the client negotiate a favorable settlement that resulted in the entrance of a permanent injunction and payment of a confidential sum.

Pro Bono

• Laura successfully represented a woman seeking asylum in the United States. The client was a victim of domestic abuse and political persecution. Laura handled all aspects of the asylum application and represented the client at her interview with the United States Department of Homeland Security. 

Selected Publications & Presentations

• “Crown Royal Sues Over Ad Implying It Is ‘Poison’,” FredNEWS: Internet, Technology Advertising & Trademark, February 2013
• “Confusion Logs May Not Hold Water at Trial,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Trademark Topics^SM, September 2012
• “Social Shaming - The Latest Response to Cease and Desist Letters,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Trademark Topics^SM, November 2011
• “A Trademark Exclusion May Not Relieve An Insurer Of Its Duty To Defend,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Trademark Topics^SM, April 2007
• “The Unheard Victims of the Refusal to Legitimize Same-Sex Marriage: The Reluctance to Recognize Same-Sex Partners as Parents Instead of Strangers,” The Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, Winter, 2005

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Minnesota Women Lawyers

Honors & Distinctions

• Phi Beta Kappa