Robert provides strategic counseling on issues related to trademark registration and clearance, content clearance, prize promotions, advertising claim substantiation, and cause marketing regulatory compliance. He and his team have structured hundreds of brand promotions across the country and in dozens of major markets around the world, helping clients avoid costly challenges from consumers, competitors and state and federal regulators. Robert is especially experienced in matters unique to the sports and entertainment industry. He counsels clients on intellectual property rights in connection with arenas and event centers, professional, semiprofessional and amateur sports teams, athletes and artists.Robert leads a premier advertising law practice, and is recognized as an expert in negotiating brand and publicity licenses, sponsorships, naming rights and other promotional agreements. Robert brings a practical approach to risk management, with a first-hand understanding of the issues brands and agencies face with consumer messaging across all channels, including social media, web and new technology platforms.Robert and his team also protect and enforce clients’ brands by strategically navigating intellectual property infringement and licensing disputes in federal courts nationwide, as well as through administrative proceedings before the TTAB, NAD and WIPO, and through enforcement actions under the DMCA and the UDRP. Robert has achieved significant wins in trademark infringement cases in federal jury trials and hundreds of brand enforcement actions against infringers in various other forums. Clients praise Robert’s practical approach to intellectual property litigation and the development of wholistic, effective and economical strategies for global brand protection and enforcement.

The mission of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation is to preserve and promote the heritage of bluegrass music in America. The Foundation seeks to educate the public about this distinctly American form of music through educational programs and workshops, public performances, historic preservation efforts, and other similar programs. The Foundation pioneered the national Play It Forward!® instrument lending program, which helps foster music literacy and performance skills in deserving young people (ages 8-21) by providing free access to musical instruments.