Education
- The George Washington University Law School (J.D., 2006)
- St. Olaf College (B.A., 1993)


Cathy Dahl helps brand owners select, register, enforce, and expand their trademark and copyright rights worldwide so they can build stronger, better-protected businesses.
That practical, business-first orientation is what has drawn clients to Cathy for more than 30 years — and what keeps them coming back. Cathy is a partner in Dorsey & Whitney's Trademark, Copyright + Advertising practice, advising companies across banking and finance, cybersecurity and AI platform products, consumer goods, beauty and personal care, food and beverage, energy and natural resources, entertainment, professional sports, and medical/healthcare on the full lifecycle of intellectual property protection.
What sets Cathy apart is the depth and range of her trademark clearance and prosecution experience and knowledge. She has completed thousands of trademark clearance searches — including high-stakes naming projects for a professional sports team — and regularly navigates complex office actions before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She structures global trademark portfolios for both large and small brand owners, collaborating closely with international counsel to align protection strategies with business objectives across dozens of jurisdictions.
Cathy also negotiates the agreements that make brand relationships work: trademark licenses, coexistence agreements, and settlement agreements that give clients durable, enforceable rights rather than temporary fixes. On the enforcement side, she pursues domain name disputes through Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings, issues takedown notices under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and addresses cybersquatting and cyberpiracy threats that can erode brand equity overnight.
Her advertising and marketing review work adds another layer of value: Cathy evaluates product packaging, print, and digital advertising materials to ensure claims are fair, substantiated, and defensible — a discipline that sits at the intersection of trademark, copyright, and consumer protection law. She also identifies and secures registered copyright protection for clients and brings significant experience to intellectual property due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, researching IP assets and perfecting ownership transfers in transactional contexts.
Cathy is a regular contributor to Dorsey's IP blog, TheTMCA.com, where she writes on developments in trademark, copyright, and advertising law. She has been recognized as an MSBA North Star Lawyer and is an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) Law Firm Committee, currently serving on the 2026–2027 term, and holds roles on multiple committees of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), including the Legal Affairs, Brand Purpose, and LGBTQ+ Inclusive Marketing Committees.
Select Experience
Trademark Clearance & Naming
Global Trademark Prosecution & Portfolio Management