Laura Goldbard George

Laura Goldbard George is the Co-Chair of Stroock’s Intellectual Property and Technology Group. She concentrates in trademark, copyright and unfair competition law litigation. She has extensive litigation experience in the U.S. courts and abroad, as well as before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, representing plaintiffs and defendants in the clothing, luggage, health and beauty aid, food and beverages, snuff and other tobacco products, financial services and family entertainment industries.

Laura manages trademark and copyright portfolios for many clients, advising them on intellectual property issues related to mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, negotiating and drafting merger and acquisition documents and licensing agreements, performing due diligence, prosecuting their intellectual property rights in both domestic and international forums and providing general counsel. She also negotiates and drafts trademark license agreements for both licensors and licensees, counsels debtors in bankruptcy and advises parties to securitizations, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions regarding intellectual property interests.

Laura sits on the executive board of Volunteer Lawyers of the Arts. She has been recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Super Lawyers recognized her skill as an IP lawyer and as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area.” She is nationally recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Intellectual Property: Trademarks: Litigation and Intellectual Property: Copyright.

• Intellectual Property

Laura’s representations have included:

• Represented a billion-dollar specialty insurance provider in a trademark infringement action against a manufacturer of camera technologies for use of the insurance providers’ tradename
• Declaratory judgment action for trademark non-infringement brought by a global payments provider for use of its name
• Trademark infringement and trade dress infringement action brought against a producer of children’s beverages for use of its iconic design and shape of a beverage container
• Trademark infringement action brought against a singer/songwriter on behalf of a live show production company for use of its name in connection with a concert tour
• Copyright infringement action brought against a photographer for photographing graffiti
• Representation of a luggage manufacturer in resolving a trademark and copyright litigation brought by a well-known manufacturer and retailer of leather products
• Representation of Times Three Clothier, LLC in securing a $6.75 million dollar settlement in a design patent infringement against Maidenform Brands
• Representation of a distributor of clocks in a music copyright infringement action
• Representation of a famous trademark owner in several trademark oppositions resulting in the applicant’s marks not being registered
• Representation of a famous trademark owner in obtaining a favorable decision from the American Arbitration Association in a domain name dispute resulting in the transfer of the domain name
• Following a two-week jury trial, obtained defense verdict on behalf of major pharmaceutical company, which rejected plaintiff's claims of trademark infringement and unfair competition and allowed client to market its new line of herbal supplements
• Negotiated and prepared a trademark license agreement on behalf of a creditor committee as part of a multimillion dollar bankruptcy proceeding
• Utilized alternative dispute resolution to achieve results favorable to clients in two copyright infringement actions, one involving greeting cards and the other involving a quilt design
• Representation in a breach of contract, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, tortious interference with contractual relations and civil and fraud on behalf of a windshield wiper distributor

Laura has been recognized by Crain's New York Business: 2020 Notable Women in Law and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Super Lawyers for her work in Intellectual Property. She was also recognized by Super Lawyers in the “Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area,” a special New York Times Magazine supplement devoted to female attorneys from the New York Metro Super Lawyers list. In addition, Laura is nationally recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Intellectual Property: Trademarks: Litigation and Intellectual Property: Copyright.

• Member, Advisory Board, BNA Patent Trademark & Copyright Journal, 2010­–2015
• Member, International Trademark Association
  • ADR Committee
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Member, New York Intellectual Property Law Association
• Member, Federal Bar Association
• Member, Copyright Society
• Board Member, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
  • Executive Committee, Advocacy Committee, Legal Services Committee and Nominating Committee

• Brief Reading Judge, Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition
• Mock Trial Judge, AMTA New Haven Regional, Yale University

• Panelist, “Ethical and Risk Management Considerations for Inside and Outside Trademark Practitioners,” 2018 Leadership Meeting for the International Trademark Association, New Orleans, LA, November 8, 2018
• Moderator, “Protecting and Monetizing Brands Through Licensing,” LES (Licensing Executives Society) Spring Meeting 2017, Washington, DC, May 9-11, 2017
• Panelist, “Women’s Progress in the Profession,” Emory Women’s Alumni Group, March 2010
• Speaker, “Ethics for IP Attorneys,” Online webinar, November 2008
• Speaker, “Workshops in Business Opportunities,” WIBO, April 12, 2007
• Facilitator, “Policing and Enforcing Trademarks,” E-Learning Program, June 2006, January 2005, October 2004

• Co-author, “Trademark Plaintiffs Need Not Prove Infringer’s Willfulness for Disgorging Profits,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 28, 2020
• Co-author, “A Genericism Challenge to an Incontestable Mark,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 20, 2020
• Co-author, “USPTO Extends Certain Deadlines Amid COVID-19 Pandemic,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 7, 2020
• Co-author, “The First Amendment: Apparent Immunity From Trademark Infringement,” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, February 2019
• Co-author, "Ethics and Risks in Transnational Trademark Practice," INTA Bulletin, November 2018
• Co-author, "The First Amendment: Apparent Immunity From Trademark Infringement?" Stroock Special Bulletin, October 9, 2018
• Co-author, “December 31 Deadline for Electronically Registering DMCA Agents with the Copyright Office,” Stroock Special Bulletin, December 14, 2017
• Co-author, “What to Know About Online Terms of Use and Privacy Notices,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 5, 2017
• Co-author, “Non-Competitors May Now Bring False Advertising Claims Under the Lanham Act,” Stroock Special Bulletin, April 7, 2014
• Co-author, “ICANN’s Trademark Clearinghouse: A Potential New Tool for Trademark Owners,” Stroock Special Bulletin, June 4, 2013
• Co-author, “ICANN’s New TLD Programs: Trademark Owners Beware!” Stroock Special Bulletin, July 26, 2011
• Co-author, “The Lessons of Medinol Ltd. v. NeuroVasx Inc.,” Stroock Special Bulletin, June 26, 2006
• Co-author, “Effective Representation in Mediation,” INTA Bulletin, November 2004
• Co-author, “The CAN-SPAM Act – What It Means for You and Your Business,” Stroock Special Bulletin, March 10, 2004

Quoted in:

• “Supreme Court Briefing: Timing is Key in Copyright Case,” Law.com, January 9, 2019
• “SCOTUS Copyright Ruling Could Cost Creators More Money, Lawyers Say,” Law.com, January 8, 2019
• “$1.8M Award Against Plaintiff to Deter Push for Settlement” concerning the Humphreys & Partners Architects, LP v. Lessard Design, Inc. Decision, BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Daily, November 18, 2015
• “Fox v. Dish Ruling Signals Limitations on Supreme Court’s Aereo Decision,” BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Daily, January 28, 2015
• “Commenters Criticize Garcia Ruling On Constitutional and Practical Concerns,” BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, March 5, 2014
• “Aereo, Fallout From Kirtsaeng, Legislative Action Among Key Copyright Issues in 2014,” BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, January 24, 2014

New York

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1981

B.A., Emory University, 1978