Rita Weeks is a creative and versatile intellectual property attorney with partner-level experience practicing all aspects of trademark, copyright, and advertising law at international law firms. Ms. Weeks specializes in litigating copyright, trademark, unfair competition, false advertising, and Internet-related disputes. Ms. Weeks also possesses in-house experience at the headquarters of a Fortune 50 global financial services firm and a Big Six movie studio (Citigroup Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation). With this combined experience, Ms. Weeks provides clients with business-practical legal advice that takes into account underlying business objectives, business risk tolerance, and publicity considerations.
Specializing in intellectual property litigation, brand protection, and copyright protection, Ms. Weeks has served as lead counsel or second chair in dozens of trademark, trade dress, copyright, unfair competition, counterfeiting, false advertising, domain name, right of publicity/privacy, and licensor/licensee disputes.
Ms. Weeks also has extensive experience litigating trademark proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and resolving multi-jurisdictional foreign trademark disputes. Ms. Weeks has developed particular experience representing brand owners and creators in the fashion, wine and spirits, financial services, food and beverage, toy, entertainment, consumer products, and technology industries.
Complementing her litigation and enforcement practice, Ms. Weeks also advises clients concerning the acquisition and commercialization of intellectual property rights. She has vast experience in intellectual property licensing, from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, as well as with drafting and negotiating a variety of advertising, sponsorship, talent, influencer, and social media agreements. Ms. Weeks regularly counsels clients on a broad range of brand protection, copyright, fair use, digital media, advertising, Internet, sweepstakes, promotions, and privacy/publicity issues. Further, she has negotiated IP aspects of corporate transactions and managed IP due diligence covering all types of intellectual property in dozens of mergers and acquisitions.
Previously, Ms. Weeks was a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation practice of an international law firm in its Washington, D.C. office, specializing in trademark and copyright litigation and enforcement. She was also a senior counsel in the Intellectual Property Litigation practice of another international law firm in its New York City office. Immediately prior to joining Kilpatrick, Ms. Weeks was in-house intellectual property and social media counsel to Citigroup, Inc., where she advised Citi’s worldwide businesses concerning a broad range of intellectual property and social media issues. During her LL.M. studies, Ms. Weeks worked on deceptive advertising, consumer protection, and antitrust matters at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in its Northeast Regional Office (New York City).
Ms. Weeks has authored many articles in the areas of trademark, copyright and Internet law, as well as practice guides in trademark litigation. She is a member of the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) committee for The Trademark Reporter, INTA’s scholarly journal.
Ms. Weeks has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in Intellectual Property Litigation by Super Lawyers magazine.
Education:
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., Intellectual Property Law (2006)
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., Intellectual Property Concentration (2004) with honors
- University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., Political Science (2000)
Admissions:
- New York (2012)
Court Admissions:
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Cost
Rate : $$$
