Susan Smith

Susan A. Smith

Partner
Washington, DC

Susan A. Smith is an experienced intellectual property counselor and litigator who advises some of the world’s leading brands on all phases of trademark representation.

Susan has served as trademark counsel to household-name brands such as Apple, Walmart, Steve Madden, Volkswagen, Audi, Dish Networks, and the U.S. Olympic Committee. She advises clients on trademark clearance and opinions, applications, and registration, as well as rebranding, management of foreign trademark portfolios, enforcement matters, Internet takedowns and domain name enforcement (including UDRP actions), trademark licensing and transactions, and brand protection/anti-counterfeiting. She litigates trademark matters in federal courts across the country and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Experience 

Representative Matters

Trademark Experience

  • Handling U.S. trademark clearances, prosecution, enforcement and litigation for Volkswagen and Audi brands.
  • Managing worldwide trademark portfolio of Steve Madden and Betsey Johnson brands.
  • Onyx Enterprises v. Volkswagen (D. NJ). Defending Volkswagen in high-profile lawsuit seeking to enjoin VW's first ever all-electric vehicle, the ID.4, on trademark infringement grounds.

Professional Highlights

Recognition & Accomplishments

Named a Patent Star and Trademark Star (2016-2024) in District of Columbia in the IP Stars List published by Managing Intellectual Property

Named one of the “Top 250 Women in IP” by Managing Intellectual Property (2019-2021)

Recognized as a Leading Trademark Professional in Enforcement & Litigation and in Prosecution & Strategy, Washington D.C., World Trademark Review 1000 (2015, 2017-2020)

Recognized for Trademarks: Litigation (2013, 2016-2020), Trademarks: Non-contentious (2014-2020) and Patent Litigation: Full Coverage (2018), Legal 500 United States

Publications

Co-author, Chapter 32, United States, International Pharmaceutical Law and Practice, Madelein Kleyn and Louis van Wyk eds., 2020

Credentials 

Education

Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (J.D.)

Brown University (B.A.)

Admissions

District of Columbia

Maryland

California

U.S. District Court, Central District of California

U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

U.S. District Court, Southern District of California

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit