Overview

Laura helps clients with a full range of branding, copyright, trademark, entertainment, media, and advertising legal matters. Laura provides practical advice so her clients may implement best practices, while maximizing the scope of brand protection and operating in compliance with federal and state laws. Through strategic advice, Laura helps clients protect, maintain, and develop their brand portfolios. Laura represents individuals and companies in a broad range of industries, including consumer products, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, technology, publishing, media, and entertainment. She is also an active thought leader on emerging brand protection issues including the intersection of artificial intelligence and brand protection.

Trademark

Laura assists clients with trademark clearance, counseling, prosecution, maintenance, audits, portfolio management, and enforcement, including trademark opposition, cancellation, and infringement proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and global courts and trademark offices. From the selection of the mark, through strategic registration and thoughtful enforcement measures, Laura provides tactical advice to allow for the best return on investment for her clients with the greatest scope of brand protection.

Copyright

Laura has wide-ranging copyright law experience. Her practice includes common and complex copyright prosecution matters, from music, books, periodicals, and video content to more complex matters like toys and games, architecture, software, databases, and collective works in the U.S. and in front of copyright offices around the world. Laura has additional experience with fair use analyses, copyright permissions and licenses, music law, and work-for-hire issues. She has extensive experience counseling individuals and estates on managing and protecting copyright assets through trust and estate planning, as well as devising and implementing strategies to maximize the benefits of the statutory mechanism known as copyright termination.

Internet & Advertising Law

Laura provides practical advice on advertising law, media, and social media law; contests, sweepstakes and promotions; domain name transfers; and combatting counterfeit products online. Laura spearheaded a counterfeit enforcement initiative for a consumer products client, which led to the removal of nearly 100,000 infringing product listings on various marketplace platforms, websites, and social media platforms. Laura is also experienced with advising on endorsement deals and influencer agreements that align with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. 

Entertainment Law & Licensing

Laura is a trusted advisor charged with leading the negotiation and preparation of trademark and copyright licenses, assignments, work-for-hire agreements, and other contracts. Her experience in IP enforcement matters also informs the critical view she brings to the review and revision of clients’ agreements. Laura advises on a variety of entertainment law matters, including rights of publicity issues such as name, image, and likeness matters. She negotiates and prepares production agreements, collaboration agreements, distribution agreements, talent agreements, publishing agreements, location agreements, publicity agreements, and other entertainment law contracts. She also counsels clients on various union compliance issues in the entertainment industry.

Experience

Laura is a former media and event producer and digital strategist. Before becoming an attorney, she worked for Los Angeles-, Chicago-, and New York-based international entertainment companies where she produced entertainment content for a prominent entertainment brand, shepherded the development of new digital strategies, oversaw the launch of new product lines, and managed national special promotions. Laura also worked for a leading talent agency in New York where she drafted and negotiated contracts on behalf of clients, including agreements for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. This industry experience allows her to provide practical, business-minded advice to clients. Laura is also a frequent speaker on intellectual property, entertainment law, and related issues.

Honors & Recognitions

  • Discovery Scholar Prize Winner, University of Southern California, 2011

Professional Activities

  • Pathfinder (2022) and Alumni, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
    • Milwaukee City Lead, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2023-2024
    • Member, Alumni Leadership Team, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
    • Mentor, Success in Law School 1L Mentoring Program
  • Member, Wisconsin Entertainment Lawyers Association (WELA) 
  • Member, Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), Copyright & Related Rights Committee and Leadership Development Committee 
  • Board Member and Treasurer, Sports & Entertainment Law section, State Bar of Wisconsin
  • Member, International Trademark Association (INTA)
    • Publications Committee, 2024-2025
    • Law Firm Committee and Well-Being Subcommittee, 2022-2023
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Copyright Society of the USA

Education

Bar Admission

Court Admissions

Community Involvement

  • Member, TEMPO Milwaukee Emerging Women Leaders
  • Board Member, American Players Theatre
    • Co-chair, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee
  • Legal Volunteer, Wills for Heroes
  • Member of the Endowment Committee, Junior League of Milwaukee
  • Former Advocate Judge, Dane County Time Bank Youth Court

 

Insights

Education

Bar Admission

Court Admissions

Community Involvement

  • Member, TEMPO Milwaukee Emerging Women Leaders
  • Board Member, American Players Theatre
    • Co-chair, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee
  • Legal Volunteer, Wills for Heroes
  • Member of the Endowment Committee, Junior League of Milwaukee
  • Former Advocate Judge, Dane County Time Bank Youth Court

 

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