Introduction
Kristen Mollnow Walsh focuses her practice on helping clients protect, enforce, and monetize their trademarks and copyrights. Kristen advises clients in a wide range of industries, including beverage alcohol, food, consumer goods, fashion, higher education, imaging, medical equipment, health care, software, technology, and financial services.
My focus
I focus on helping clients to develop, protect and manage distinctive brands to drive their businesses forward. I counsel clients on the selection of new marks, create and implement filing strategies to protect marks both within the United States and abroad and strategically manage worldwide trademark portfolios. I also assist clients with obtaining copyright registrations and advise routinely on Internet and social media-related IP issues.
I help clients strategically enforce their trademark and copyright rights including, for example, through direct contact with infringers, by implementing brand-specific Internet enforcement programs and by invoking the DMCA take-down provisions. I have extensive experience with domain name enforcement proceedings under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and represent clients in contested proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
I do a significant amount of trademark clearance, prosecution and enforcement work for clients in the beverage alcohol and food industries. I actively work with other members of the firm’s Food, Beverage and Agriculture industry team to provide comprehensive legal services to businesses in these industry sectors.
Looking ahead
With the increasing globalization of our economy and the increasing connectedness of consumers around the world, having a strong, distinctive, well-protected brand will become essential for any company wanting to effectively compete on the global stage.
/Insights
- Chapter on U.S. trademark law in "The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Trade Marks 2012," published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London (co-author).
In the news
- The Daily Record
The Daily Record’s Power List for Intellectual Property 2023
Sep 21, 2023Corporate partner Jeremy Wolk and Intellectual Property partner Kristen Mollnow Walsh (both of Rochester) profiled for being honored as part of the publication’s 2023 Power List for Intellectual Property, recognizing Rochester-area attorneys for their work in the IP space.
- The Daily Record
The Daily Record’s Power List for Intellectual Property 2023
Sep 21, 2023Corporate partner Jeremy Wolk and Intellectual Property partner Kristen Mollnow Walsh (both of Rochester) profiled for being honored as part of the publication’s 2023 Power List for Intellectual Property, recognizing Rochester-area attorneys for their work in the IP space.
- The Deal
Resonetics to acquire two SAES units
Dec 9, 2022The following article covers Resonetics LLC’s $900 million agreement to acquire Memry Corp. and SAES Smart Materials Inc. from NP client SAES Getters SpA. The article mentions Manchester partner and Private Equity & Family Offices team leader Phil Taub and Boston partner Amy O’Keefe, both of the Corporate group, for leading the NP team representing SAES Getters on U.S. legal matters. The team also includes Chicago partner and Global Finance co-leader Rob Drobnak; Corporate partners Alexandra Lopez-Casero and Thomas McCord from Boston, Andrew Share from Manchester, and Sean Clancy from Washington, DC; Affordable Housing & Real Estate partners Mark Beaudoin from Manchester and Alison Torbitt from San Francisco; Boston Labor & Employment partner Jeff Gilbreth; Rochester Intellectual Property partner Kristen Walsh; Washington, DC Complex Disputes partner and Antitrust leader Gordon Lang; Manchester Government Investigations & White-Collar Defense partner Mark Knights; Rochester counsel and Cybersecurity & Privacy deputy leader Jenny Holmes; Boston Corporate counsel David Crosby; Washington, DC Complex Disputes counsel Brian Whittaker; Albany Affordable Housing & Finance counsel Dana Stanton; Corporate associates Shaziah Singh from New York, Anthony Bova from Boston, Corey Habib from Manchester, and Hrishikesh Shah from Chicago; and Manchester Corporate department attorney Dave Zimmermann.
- WXXI News
Connections: "Finger Lakin' Good" and trademark law
Rochester IP counseling and transactions partner Kristen Mollnow Walsh appeared on this radio segment to discuss a case of alleged “corporate bullying” by Kentucky Fried Chicken.May 1, 2017 - Democrat & Chronicle
Optics firm taking Chinese manufacturers to task
Rochester IP Counseling & Transactions partner Kristen Walsh is quoted in this article on IP issues for U.S. companies operating, or considering starting operations, in China.Sep 18, 2014
Admitted to practice
New York
Massachusetts
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
Education
Albany Law School of Union University, J.D., summa cum laude
Vanderbilt University, B.S., Mathematics, magna cum laude
Professional activities
- Member, the New York State (Intellectual Property Section)
- Member, the American Bar Association
- Member, the Monroe County bar association
- Member, the International Trademark Association
- Member, the Rochester Intellectual Property Law Association
Recognition
- World Trademark Review 1000—Recommended as a leading NY lawyer for trademark prosecution and strategy (2014-2025)
- Managing Intellectual Property—Recognized as an “IP Star” (2023-2024)
Insights And Happenings
View AllProfessionals in the Practice Area
View AllJohn Ruskusky
Partner / Practice Group Leader, Complex Disputes- Chicago
- Office:+1 312.977.4460Mobile:+1 708.606.8720
- jtruskusky@nixonpeabody.com
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Daniel J. Hurteau
Office Managing Partner / Deputy Practice Group Leader, Complex Disputes- New York City
- Office:+1 518.427.2652
- dhurteau@nixonpeabody.com
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Joseph J. Ortego
Partner / Chair, NP Trial / Leader, Aviation- New York City
- Office:+1 212.940.3045
- jortego@nixonpeabody.com
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Carolyn G. Nussbaum
Senior Counsel- Rochester
- Office:+1 585.263.1558Mobile:+1 585.766.1480
- cnussbaum@nixonpeabody.com
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Christopher M. Mason
Partner / Deputy Leader, Class Actions & Aggregate Litigation / Leader, Arbitration Team- New York City
- Office:+1 212.940.3017
- cmason@nixonpeabody.com
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