Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Technology and IP Disputes

Partner - Litigation and Investigations

Jeff Wakolbinger’s practice focuses on intellectual matters encompassing all aspects of trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, marketing and advertising matters. His practice often involves the enforcement of rights through both dispute and prosecution matters on companies of all scales, from startups to Fortune 100s, including those in consumer goods, technology, retail, fashion, hospitality, media and entertainment sectors.

Jeff represents owners and companies of well-known brands in litigation and appeals before federal courts and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). He is credited for providing full-service support from the pre-litigation stage through trial and appeal, always seeking to secure the best and most efficient resolution for his clients. He also provides support through clearance opinions, registration and prosecution, corporate due diligence, and providing comprehensive counseling advice.

Jeff previously served as a law clerk to a federal district court judge in the Northern District of Illinois. In law school, he was the symposium editor of the University of Illinois Law Review, and he has served as an editor of the Trademark Reporter, the law journal of the International Trademark Association. Jeff continues to be active with the University of Illinois College of Law, and regularly serves as a mentor for current law students. He is also active with the International Trademark Association (INTA), where he has been a member of various committees over the years and has presented at the ANA/BAA Marketing Law Conference.

Jeff is also a former musician and recording engineer, previously based out of Los Angeles. He maintains a strong interest in the arts and regularly devotes time to pro bono matters for up-and-coming artists. He is a founder of the Administer Justice legal clinic at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chicago, where he regularly provides legal counseling on a variety or matters to persons of limited means.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT & HONORS WTR 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, 2024