Norman (Norm) J. Rich is a partner and intellectual property attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP. Norm dedicates his practice to helping clients capitalize on intellectual property opportunities and minimize intellectual property risks. He assists clients in establishing legal protection for new brands, obtaining trademark and copyright portfolios worldwide that have value, building alliances through trademark and copyright licensing and other strategic business arrangements, and enforcing intellectual property rights against infringers and defending those rights against allegations of infringement. He develops strategies to avoid counterproductive trademark and copyright disputes, and helps clients with trademark selection, procurement, maintenance, enforcement and portfolio management. Norm’s practice also encompasses intellectual property due diligence in commercial transactions, domain name disputes, endorsement agreements and product labeling and product packaging issues. His counseling philosophy is based on the practice of avoiding problems rather than awaiting them. But he also enjoys producing positive results for clients embroiled in trademark, copyright and domain name disputes. Norm is a member of the firm's Trademark, Copyright & Advertising Practice and its Sports & Entertainment, Hospitality & Leisure and Medical Devices Industry Teams.
His client work includes a wide variety of intellectual property matters including licensing, strategic management of trademark, copyright and domain name assets and related client counseling; negotiating trademark and copyright agreements; prosecution of domestic and international trademark applications; trademark clearance searches and opinions on availability and related risks; developing brand management protection programs; combating online infringement; handling trademark enforcement and litigation before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution (UDRP) proceedings, as well as rights of publicity issues and advertising and promotions counseling. While representing a wide range of clients in diverse industries, areas of specialization include the branding of pharmaceuticals, including drug naming and non-conventional marks such as color and shape, branding for the hospitality industry, and conducting intellectual property audits and due diligence for corporate transactions.
Norm is a former trademark examining attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He has served as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and as a guest lecturer for various professional seminar programs. He has also authored a number of articles on intellectual property subjects.
