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David Bernstein

Partner

Debevoise & Plimpton

David Bernstein is the chair of Debevoise & Plimpton’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group and widely recognized as one of the world’s “preeminent” trademark lawyers. He helps global companies navigate their most important and complex intellectual property matters, including those involving trademark and trade dress infringement and dilution, false advertising, domain names, copyrights and publicity rights. Legal directories and clients have described Mr. Bernstein as a “rockstar,” “indisputably one of the very best trademark lawyers in the country” and “the dean of the IP litigation bar.” Mr. Bernstein litigates IP cases nationwide, manages multi-jurisdictional litigations, and mediates and arbitrates IP cases around the world, including both as advocate and arbitrator.

Recent Articles by David Bernstein

Justices Skeptical that Refusal to Register TRUMP TOO SMALL Violates the First Amendment

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument this morning in Vidal v. Elster, the latest in a line of recent cases probing the intersection of the First Amendment and trademark law, following 2017’s Matal v. Tam, 2019’s Iancu v. Brunetti, and this year’s Jack Daniel’s v. VIP Products.  As in Tam and Brunetti, the Justices are being asked in Elster to review the constitutionality of a restriction on federal trademark registrations—this time, the prohibition under Section 1052(c) of the Lanham Act on the registration of living persons’ names without their consent, sometimes called the “Name Clause.”

Infringing Influencers? Federal Judge Says Sponsored Blogger Can Face Trademark Infringement Liability

When an influencer is paid to promote a brand – and the brand’s name is trademark-infringing – can the influencer be on the hook for the infringement? A federal district court just said yes. The result could widely expand trademark litigation against influencers – and could reshape how companies and their influencers relate to one another contractually.