Jennifer L. Dean is a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group and the chair of Drinker Biddle's Trademarks practice team.
Jennifer's practice encompasses trademark clearance, registration and enforcement, focusing in particular on brand selection and management, and on litigation before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She manages global trademark portfolios in fields ranging from soft drinks to reinsurance, and also advises clients on copyright and licensing issues.
Brand Selection and Management. Jennifer assists clients with the complete trademark "life cycle," from assessing the availability of marks to securing and maintaining their registrations.
Her in-depth knowledge of her clients' businesses enables Jennifer to support and advance their marketing objectives. She draws upon that knowledge to provide rapid, thorough analysis of the availability of proposed brand names. In particular, Jennifer understands the unique challenge of choosing new brands for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and frequently guides clients through rebranding projects under rigorous time constraints.
Once a brand has been selected, Jennifer develops comprehensive filing strategies and implements them with the support of a team of experienced trademark paralegals, striving to make global protection as cost-effective as possible. Clients have entrusted to Jennifer's care intellectual property portfolios that comprise thousands of applications and registrations, relying on her extensive experience with navigating the intricacies of international trademark prosecution.
Enforcement. Clients call on Jennifer to enforce their rights in "crown jewel" brands. She seeks resolution of disputes without formal adversarial proceedings when possible, and crafts agreements that maintain crucial protection for her clients' brands while conserving resources. When litigation is required, she pursues opposition and cancelation actions before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and trademark infringement actions in court. On numerous occasions, swift enforcement measures have averted the launch of confusingly similar brand names by her clients' competitors.
In General. Jennifer graduated summa cum laude, first in her class, from Western Maryland College in 1993, with a degree in English/theatre and French. While at Western Maryland, Jennifer was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1997, where she served as executive editor of the Boston University Law Review.
From 1997 to 1998, Jennifer served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable William W. Wenner of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.
Jennifer has written articles on intellectual property law and the Internet, and has lectured on these topics at the annual convention of the Maryland State Bar Association and continuing legal education seminars. She is vice-chair of the Intellectual Property Owners Association Trademark Office Practice (U.S.) Committee, and is also a member of the International Trademark Association and the Intellectual Property Section of the American Bar Association.
Jennifer is an enthusiastic member of Hexagon, an organization that presents Washington's only original, political, satirical, musical comedy revue. Each year, the show's proceeds are donated to a different local charity. In addition to creating skits and lyrics for the show, she has played a wide variety of on-stage roles. |