PlaveKoch | Valerie Brennan

Experience
Presentations
Publications

Experience

Valerie Brennan joined Plave Koch in January 2020 and leads the firm’s Trademarks & Copyrights practice. She has over 20 years of experience advising companies and associations on selecting, protecting, licensing, and enforcing their trademarks worldwide. Valerie also expands PK’s capabilities in domain name counseling and digital disputes, and with her onboard, we are able to offer copyright counseling, copyright registration, copyright licensing, and copyright dispute services as well.

Valerie has handled hundreds of intellectual property portfolios, both domestic and international, and has negotiated trademark and copyright licenses worldwide. Her experience runs the gamut of trademark and copyright issues – cease-and-desist letters, social media, IP audits, certification programs, security interests in IP, merger-related due diligence and IP transfers, cybersquatters, domain name registration, and commercialization of technology. On the copyright side, she is particularly experienced with fair use analyses and DMCA take-down notices.

Valerie has been active for years in the leadership and committee work of the International Trademark Association (INTA). For 2020-2021, she will serve as vice-chair of INTA’s Copyright committee. She has written, moderated, and presented on a range of IP topics, including portfolio management, securitization of trademarks, due diligence, and social media.

Valerie started her legal career at Wiley Rein in D.C. with many of her Plave Koch colleagues. She joined PK after twenty years at Hogan Lovells US LLP, where she co-managed the firm’s trademark prosecution and counseling practice and led the IP support team for the firm’s financing practice.

Fluent in French (spoken, superbe; written, bien)

Education

J.D., University of Michigan Law School, cum laude, 1994
Certificate of Merit in Copyright
Certificate of Merit in Writing and Advocacy
B.S., General Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991

Memberships

International Trademark Association, Copyright Committee (2016-2017 and 2018-2019 terms), Subcommittee Chair (2018-2019 term), Vice-Chair (2020-2021 term)
International Trademark Association, Trademark Practices Committee (2012-2013 and 2014-2015 terms)
International Trademark Association, Bulletin Committee – Features (2006-2011 terms), Subcommittee Co-Chair (2010-2011 term)
Copyright Society of the U.S.