Overview
Connor is an Associate in Dorsey’s Intellectual Property Litigation group whose practice focuses on trademark, trade dress, copyright, and patent litigation as well as strategic counseling in a range of intellectual property matters. Connor has been the lead associate in federal district court litigation and in administrative proceedings at 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 representation of clients in a wide array of industries including social media, fashion, aviation, automobile, telecommunications, entertainment, food and beverage, 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, fact and expert discovery, and trial. His recent experience includes representing prominent clients like TikTok, Paramount, Facebook, a consumer products company selling the No. 1 toy on Amazon, and a major agricultural cooperative. 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.
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
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Washington
- Texas
- 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
Experience
Representative Experience
- 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.
- JetBlue Airways Corp. v. Airblue Ltd., Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Defending 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)
Industries & Practices
Intellectual Property Litigation
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceTrademark, Copyright + Advertising
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceCybersecurity, Privacy & Social Media
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceFood, Beverage & Agribusiness
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Advertising & Marketing
- Creative Industries
- Cybersecurity, Privacy & Social Media
- Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
- Intellectual Property
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Technology
- Trademark, Copyright + Advertising
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
- Contributed more than 50 Diversity hours, 2023
- Listed as a “Rising Star” by Washington Super Lawyers, 2023-2024
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Program, 2022
- Contributed more than 50 Challenge pro bono hours, 2020-2021
- 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
