Jon Jekel

Jon works closely and collaboratively with clients at every step, from helping to resolve issues with trademark applications, to enforcing (or defending against) infringement claims, to negotiating, documenting and closing IP transactions.  When disputes arise, Jon advises clients on practical ways to avoid costly litigation. If a matter cannot be resolved amicably, he is a fierce advocate, representing clients in litigation, appeals, settlement negotiations, administrative proceedings, arbitration and mediation. Among other cases, he has counseled clients in disputes involving contracts, copyrights, trademarks, false association, fraud, unfair competition, cybersecurity, data privacy, IP licensing and domain-name disputes.

With transactions, Jon is known for his focused and detail-oriented approach and for his remarkable ability to help his clients close deals. Jon attributes his success in this area to his unique ability to harness “new deal energy” and move the parties to the finish line before the transaction becomes overburdened with lawyers. As he often notes, “time is the greatest cause of death for a deal.” When Jon represents a client in a deal, he does everything he can to prevent that from happening.

Finally, while Jon is mainly known for his work on complex matters involving unique claims or sophisticated technologies, he also enjoys working with clients to develop cost-effective systems to address their more basic intellectual property needs. For example, Jon has worked with several clients to develop programs for identifying, monitoring, and reporting infringement on social networks or e-commerce platforms, which for one client, resulted in more than 10,000 pieces of infringing content being taken offline in a two-year period.

Outside of his day-to-day practice, Jon is an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), and a dedicated pro bono legal advocate, providing an average of 200 hours of pro bono legal services per year.

• Represented clients in more than 100 U.S. trademark oppositions and cancellations.
• Authored dozens of successful motions at all stages of litigation or in administrative proceedings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
• Maintained global trademark portfolios of several Fortune 500 companies, including thousands of domestic and foreign registrations.
• Oversaw the work of foreign attorneys in trademark litigation or opposition proceedings in more than 50 countries.
• Represented hundreds of clients in successfully overcoming refusals to register from the United State Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office.
• Advised more than 500 clients on selecting and building multinational brands in the computer software, computer hardware, fashion, cosmetics, cannabis, medical device, transportation, communication, and pharmaceutical industries.
• Performed IP due diligence for a multinational semiconductor company in connection with multiple mergers and acquisitions.
• Counseled clients of all sizes on developing holistic global IP protection strategies, balancing their objectives and budgets.
• Hosted online or in-person training sessions with large and small clients on issues pertaining to trade secrets, proper third-party media usage, and a variety of other copyright and trademark issues.

• Panelist, “2021 TTAB Year in Review,” Intellectual Property Owner’s Association (Apr. 5, 2022)
• Author, “Multi-State Licensing as a Strategy for National Cannabis Brands” (Feb. 10, 2021).
• Panelist, “IP and Cannabis: The Current Landscape” (Oct. 20, 2020).
• Author, “Q&A on Basics of Photography Licensing” (Oct. 15, 2020).
• Author, “Avoiding Common Copyright Licensing Issues with Photographs” (Jun. 27, 2020).
• Author, “Federal Circuit Rules Color Trademarks Can Be Inherently Distinctive, Vacating TTAB” (Apr. 10, 2020).
• Author, “Reminder: ISP’s Must Renew DMCA Agent Registrations Every Three Years” (Apr. 1, 2020).
• Host, “Holistic IP Strategy for Start-Ups” INTA 2019 Table Topic (May 21, 2019).
• Author, “Color Guard: Tips for Registering a Color as a Trademark with the USPTO” (Nov. 26, 2018).
• Speaker, “Domain Name Disputes Post-GDPR: Navigating URS, UDRP With Reduced Access to Information” Strafford (Nov. 14, 2018).
• Author, “Tips for Dealing with Domain Name Disputes without WHOIS Information” (Jul. 19, 2018).
• Author, “ICANN Proposes Framework for WHOIS Access, but Questions Remain” (Jun. 28, 2018).
• Author, “Embedding Content is Safe, Right? A Recent Case Says No, Creating Serious Concerns for Websites with Unlicensed Third-party Content” (Mar. 22, 2018).
• Author, “Two Recent Trademark Decisions Provide Ammunition for Trademark Owners Who Receive Improper Specimen Refusals for Service Marks” (Mar. 16, 2018).
• Author, “Branding Social Movements: Why Attempts to Trademark #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and Other Movements are Likely to Fail and Could Harm Core Brands” (Feb. 5, 2018).
• Speaker, “Green Business: Advising Clients on Protecting and Enforcing Cannabis Brands” California State Bar (Mar. 2017).