Overview
Connor’s practice focuses on trademark, trade dress, copyright, false advertising, and patent litigation as well as strategic counseling in a range of intellectual property matters. Connor has represented clients in federal district courts across the county and in administrative proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. A biological systems engineer by training, Connor is able to quickly learn technical aspects of a wide range of technologies ranging from medical and computing devices to consumer products and apparel. This has been key to his success in cases relating to a variety of subject matters, such as artificial intelligence, social media and entertainment platforms, online games and apps, fashion, alcoholic beverage products, aviation, educational testing tools, telecommunications, consumer products, and financial services.
Connor has experience assisting clients to secure early and favorable settlements as well as through all phases of litigation, including pre-litigation analysis and strategy, preliminary injunctions, fact and expert discovery, summary judgment, and trial. His recent experience includes representing prominent clients like TikTok, Paramount, Procter & Gamble, and Sazerac. Connor is a regular contributor to Dorsey’s critically acclaimed IP Blog, TheTMCA.com, which focuses on legal developments in the world of Trademarks, Copyrights, and Advertising. Connor lives in Austin, Texas with his husband and two dogs.
Education & Admissions
The George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 2018)
University of Nebraska - Lincoln (B.S., Biological Systems Engineering, 2015)
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Washington
- Texas
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Experience
Representative Experience
- International Council for Veterinary Assessment v. Anivive Lifesciences, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Asserted claims of copyright infringement and breach of contract relating to the unauthorized use of copyright-protected veterinary test materials in large language models.
- Business Architecture Guild v. Lambert, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the American Arbitration Association. Obtained favorable ruling on copyright infringement and breach of contract claims.
- Stitch Editing Ltd. v. TikTok, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Defended TikTok against claims of trademark infringement relating to use of the term “Stitch” for a creation feature in the TikTok app.
- Sazerac Brands, LLC v. Wadada Spirits, LLC, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Successfully opposed a FIREBURN 1878 mark on behalf of the owner of the famous FIREBALL mark for whisky and related alcoholic beverage products.
- Sazerac Brands, LLC v. Ruiz Ruiz, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Successfully opposed a CORAZÓN-formative trademark for mezcal on behalf of the owner of a family of well know CORAZÓN marks for tequila.
- GROWMARK, Inc. v. Serrala Group GmbH, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Successfully opposed a trademark that was confusingly similar to the opposer’s well-known FS mark.
- JetBlue Airways Corp. v. Airblue Ltd., Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Defended the second largest airline in Pakistan in an opposition relating to the mark “Airblue” for air transportation services.
- Pop Parties LLC v. Zixuanyin, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Asserted copyright infringement claims in three cases involving defendants selling infringing consumer products on Amazon. Obtained a final judgement and permanent injunction.
- Tee Turtle LLC v. Kellytoy Worldwide Inc., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Asserted utility and design patent claims against a toy manufacturer marketing popular reversible plush toys.
- 0912139 B.C. Ltd. v. Rampion USA Inc., U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Defended an apparel company against claims of utility patent infringement relating to men’s underwear.
- Mike’s Novelties Inc. v. Eyce LLC, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Defended a novelty and consumer product manufacturer in a declaratory judgement proceeding relating to multiple design patents and asserted claims of patent infringement.
- Tee Turtle LLC v. Anhui Leadershow et al., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In two cases involving nearly 300 defendants selling infringing products through Dhgate.com and Alibaba.com, obtained TROs and preliminary injunctions halting willful and intentional infringement under the Lanham Act and the Copyright Act.
- Viacom International Inc. v. Armstrong Interactive Inc., Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Successfully opposed a U.S. trademark application for the term “Double Dare” for a children’s gameshow.
- Franklin Square Holdings L.P. v. Growmark, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Defended an agricultural cooperative against claims of trademark infringement relating to the mark “FS” for various financial goods and services.
- Tee Turtle LLC v. Cukurova, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Obtained final judgment and permanent injunction against party selling infringing consumer products that achieved widespread recognition from viral TikTok videos.
- CDTFA v. First American Petroleum, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Prevailed in decade long dispute regarding whether the Yakama Treaty of 1855 precluded State of California from imposing excise taxes on First American’s petroleum products.
News & Resources
Articles
News & Press Mentions
Legal Writings
- Influenced by Social Media, Ninth Circuit finds Personal Jurisdiction over Foreign Defendant, IP Litigator (2021)
- Taking Patent Rights: Sovereign Immunity & the Fourteenth Amendment in Patent Validity & Inventorship Challenges, Journal of the Patent and Trademark Society (2019)
- Permission Impossible: An Exception-Based Legislative Solution for Digitizing Copyright-Protected Works, Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property (2018)
- Virtually Equivalent: Applying the Doctrine of Equivalents to Patented Inventions Depicted in Virtual Reality, American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal (2018)
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinder Program (2022)
- Austin Intellectual Property Law Association (Austin IPLA)
- International Trademark Association (INTA), Trademark Reporter Committee
- The National LGBT Bar Association
- Military Spouse J.D. Network
- Executive Production Editor, American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal (2017–2018)
Accolades
- Washington Super Lawyers®, "Rising Stars," 2023-2025
- More than 50 Diversity hours, 2023
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Program, 2022
- Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, District of Columbia, April 2019
- Peter D. Rosenberg Prize in Patent and Intellectual Property Law (awarded to the top IP student in the graduating class), The George Washington University Law School, May 2018
