People

Erin Hennessy

With nearly 30 years of experience advising global brands on trademark, copyright, and internet law, Erin Hennessy is a trusted strategic advisor on complex intellectual property and brand management matters across industries including media, entertainment, sports, technology, retail, fashion, and financial services. A former chief trademark counsel at Time Warner Inc., Erin brings a rare blend of in-house and law firm experience, offering practical, business-oriented guidance that aligns legal strategy with commercial objectives. She is widely recognized for her commercial approach and strong business acumen.

Erin counsels clients on the full lifecycle of intellectual property assets, with a particular focus on supporting legal, business, and marketing teams navigating branding challenges in an evolving digital landscape. She manages worldwide trademark portfolios and handles counseling, clearance, prosecution, enforcement, and litigation, as well as domain name, social media, and internet-related issues. She advises on policy matters affecting intellectual property, including the impact of AI on intellectual property and internet governance issues. Erin also advises on intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions and negotiates a wide range of commercial agreements, including licensing, coexistence, and settlement arrangements. Known for distilling complex issues into pragmatic solutions, she helps clients mitigate risk, unlock value, and drive revenue.

In addition to her client work, Erin is a recognized leader in the intellectual property community and public policy space. She currently serves as chair of the Political Action Committee for the International Trademark Association, where she leads government affairs initiatives on cutting-edge legal, legislative, and regulatory issues impacting brand owners worldwide. She previously served as counsel to INTA’s board of directors and as a member of its board. Erin also serves on the advisory boards of Miami University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Widener University Commonwealth Law School and Corsearch.

Notable Work

Trademark Litigation:

Secured a victory at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), halting a competitor’s attempt to secure a U.S. trademark registration for the term “Footware.”

Trademark Litigation:

Represented HTC Corporation in a complete summary judgment victory in a trademark infringement case in the Eastern District of Virginia and on appeal.

M&A/IP Due Diligence:

Provided counsel to an American shoe manufacturer in its acquisition of assets out of bankruptcy, including due diligence, resolution of complex chain-of-title issues, and acquisition of trademark assets.

Corporate Transactions:

Served as lead intellectual property counsel on significant corporate transactions, including the $9.6 billion spin-off of Time Warner Cable; the $537.5 million divestiture of Time Warner Book Group to Lagardère SCA; and the $2.6 billion divestiture of Warner Music Group Inc. to Edgar Bronfman Jr. and investors.

Time Warner Inc., Assistant General Counsel and Chief Trademark Counsel, 2006-2008; Chief Trademark Counsel, 2005-2008; Senior Counsel, 2000-2006

AdAge, Co-Author, “How Marketers Can Protect Their IP During a Refresh,” October 31, 2024
Brave New Coin, Co-Author, “Ferreting Out Fakers: How Cryptocurrency Companies Can Protect Their Brands in Cyberspace,” October 10, 2022
New York University, Guest Lecturer, “IP for Film Students,” November 2019
Corporate Counsel, Author, “Preparing for Unfathomable Social Media Events,” April 16, 2018
Intellectual Property Magazine, Author, “Rights in China: Time is Right for Public Figures to Register in China,” May 2017
IP Strategist, Author, “The Joke is in the Bag! Parody at the Federal and TTAB Levels,” March 2017
IP Magazine, Author, “Keep Quiet and Carry On under the EU Trade Secrets Directive,” September 2016
Law360, Author, “Brand Owners Can Make Trademark Tacking Stick,” January 2015
Westlaw Journal, Author, “The Kirtsaeng Decision – Keep Calm and Copyright On,” December 2014
IP Today, Author, “.bank and Other Domain Names to Open for Financial Institutions… and Others,” December 2014
IP Today, Author, “Fantastic .Voyage: The Launch of First 9 New gTLDs,” December 2013
Law360, Author, “How to P.O.L.I.C.E. Your Brand During 2014 gTLDs Launch,” December 13, 2013
Intellectual Property Strategist, Author, “Checking in on the New gTLD Objection Processes,” December 1, 2013
International Trademark Association (INTA) Leadership Meeting, Miami, Speaker, “Forward March! Trademarks in the Military,” November 2013
Association of Corporate Counsel, Austin, Speaker, “Managing Your In-House Portfolio: Top 10 Tips for the In-House Counsel,” October 2013
Law360, Author, “Appeals by the Numbers: Do the TTAB’s Standards of Proof for Reviewing ‘Close’ Cases Matter?,” October 1, 2013
Thomson Reuters, Author, “Q&A on USPTO’s Draft Guide for New Top-Level Domain Names,” September 27, 2013
The Wrap, Author, “Inside Oprah Winfrey’s Battle for ‘Power,’” July 17, 2013
World Trademark Review, Author, “TMs & Cloud Issues,” March 1, 2013

International Trademark Association (INTA), Member, 2000–Present
- Political Action Committee (PAC) Board of Governors, Chair, 2024–Present; Vice Chair, 2018–2024; Member, 2016–Present
- Counsel to the Board of Directors, 2020–2022
- Board of Directors, 2008–2010
- Legislation and Regulation Committee, Present
- Leadership Development Committee, Member, 2016–2019; 2022–2026; Best Practices Subcommittee, Co-Chair, 2024–2026
- Public Information Committee, Member, 2020–2021
- President’s Long-Range Planning Task Force, Member, 2006–2007
- Annual Meeting Program Committee, Member, 2016
Intellectual Property Owners Association, Member
- Trademark Law Committee, Member, 2012–2018; Former Vice Chair
- Annual Meeting Planning Committee, Member, 2014
Blue Star Families New York Tri-State Chapter, Advisory Board Member, 2020-Present
Corsearch, Inc., Advisory Board Member, 2018–Present
Miami University College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, Board Member and Former Chair, 2015–Present
Widener University Commonwealth School of Law, Dean's Advisory Board
Military Spouse JD Network, Former Board Member; Former Liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession
Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Women in the Legal Profession Committee, Member, 2015–2017
The Intellectual Property Strategist, Board of Editors, 2003–Present

World Trademark Review 1000, 2017–2019, 2021–2026, Listed for Trademark: Prosecution and Strategy (New York); 2013, 2016–2019, Listed for Trademark (Washington)
Legal 500, 2014–2018, 2021–2025, Recommended for Intellectual Property – Trademarks: Non-Contentious (Full Coverage)
Chambers USA, 2014–2016, Ranked for Intellectual Property
Best Lawyers, 2013–2026, Listed in New York for Trademark Law
Managing Intellectual Property Magazine, 2016–2019, Named Trademark IP Star (Washington); 2018–2025, Named Trademark IP Star (New York); 2020–2025, Named Copyright Star (New York)
Euromoney Americas Women in Business Law Awards, 2020, Finalist for Trademark
Department of the Army, 2011, 2016, Recipient of Commander’s Award for Public Service; 2018, Recipient of Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Military Spouse J.D. Network (MSJDN), 2013, Recipient of Professional Excellence Award
U.S. Armor Association, 2010, Recipient of the Order of St. Joan D’Arc
Time Warner, 2005, Recipient of the Andrew Heiskell Community Service Award

Erin Hennessy

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