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info@kelly-ip.com

1300 19th Street, N.W.
Suite 420 Washington, DC 20036

Partner

Kelu Sullivan

kelu.sullivan@kelly-ip.com Download bio Download v-card

About

Kelu Sullivan is a partner with Kelly IP, LLP in Washington, DC. For more than 15 years, Kelu has represented clients in all aspects of trademark, copyright and domain name law. Kelu is particularly experienced in the management of global trademark portfolios and providing creative and practical business-focused intellectual property protection, licensing and enforcement strategies. She works with clients of all different sizes in a wide range of industries, including emerging and cutting edge technologies, food and beverage, travel, finance, and fashion.

Kelu has been consistently recognized as a trademark lawyer nationally. She has been recognized for the Bronze Tier of Trademark Prosecution and Strategy in the Washington, D.C. area for 2023 and 2024. Clients describe Kelu as a “forward thinking prosecutor” and “leverages her previous litigation experience to spot potential issues and solve them swiftly.”

Since 2018, Kelu has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Iowa College of Law teaching a course on IP Advocacy.

Prior to joining Kelly IP, Kelu was a partner at BakerHostetler in Washington, DC.

  • / Globefill Inc. v. Elements Spirits, Inc. and Kim Brandi (9th Cir.)
  • Overturned jury verdict on the basis of attorney misconduct.
  • / Globefill Inc. v. Elements Spirits, Inc. and Kim Brandi (9th Cir.)
  • Overturned District Court decision to dismiss the case on the basis that trade dress was functional.
  • / Cold War Museum, Inc. v. Cold War Air Museum Inc. (Fed. Cir.)
  • Overturned TTAB decision to cancel the trademark COLD WAR MUSEUM and reinstated the registration for COLD WAR MUSEUM. The Court clarified that a registered trademark is presumed to be valid and the petitioner must rebut the evidence of acquired distinctiveness.
  • / Trademark Portfolio Management
  • Manages large international trademark portfolios, including nearly the entire trademark portfolio for a global diversified technology and industrial leader, manages all enforcement, and licensing needs globally.
  • /Trademark Clearance
  • Searched and Cleared thousands of trademarks on behalf of industrial, commercial and consumer brands around the world.
  • / License Agreements
  • Negotiate and draft intellectual property license agreements.
  • / Due Diligence
  • Perform intellectual property and information technology due diligence on behalf of medical devices and energy companies.
  • /WTR 1000 – Bronze Tier for Trademark Prosecution and Strategy in the DC Metro Area (223; 2024)
  • /Asian Pacific Bar Association: Member Appreciation Award for Membership
  • /Washington, D.C., Super Lawyer “Rising Star” (2014-2017)
  • /Association of Intellectual Property Firms: Chair, Trademarks Committee (2020-2022); Vice Chair, Trademarks Committee (2018-2020);
  • /District of Columbia Bar Association: Vice Chair, DEIA Working Group (2021-present), DEIA Summit Project Group; Trademark Committee (2014-2015), Young Lawyers Committee Co-Vice Chair (2011-2014), CHIP Award Committee (2011)
  • /Bar Association of the District of Columbia: Trademarks Committee Chair (2013-2014)
  • /Intellectual Property Owners Association: Open-Source Committee: Vice Chair (2011-2012)
  • /Asian Pacific American Bar Association: Educational Fund: Board of Directors (2009-2011)
  • /American Bar Association: Intellectual Property Section, Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments (2010)
  • /American Intellectual Property Law Association: Co-Chair, Women in IP Law, Leaders & Succession Subcommittee (2021-Present)
  • /International Trademark Association: Academic Committee (2022-present)
  • /University of Iowa College of Law Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Team, Coach (2018-Present)
  • /“Tips on Trademark Office Action Responses”, Landslide Magazine, May/June 2020
  • /“Discovery Tips Under the Amended TTAB Rules”, Lexology, 2017
  • /“Orphan Works at the Dawn of Digitization”, Richmond Journal of Law & Technology, 2011.
  • /Supreme Court Amicus Brief on behalf of the Bar Association of District of Columbia in ABC, Inc. v. Aereo
  • /Presenter, “Protecting Nontraditional Trademarks under Trademark, Copyright, and Design Patent Law”, Strafford, Webinar, March 2022
  • /Presenter, “Significant Changes to U.S. Trademark Practice: The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020”, Association of Intellectual Property Firms, Webinar, February 2022
  • /Presenter, “Responding to Trademark Office Action: Raising Specimen Refusals, Disclaimer Requirements, Requests for Information, Domicile Address, and Suspension Inquiries”, Strafford, Webinar, February 2022
  • /Presenter, “Spring into (Office) Action: Dealing with and overcoming OA Refusals”, AltLegalConnect 2021, Virtual, September 2021
  • /Presenter, “Searching Trademarks”, Trademark Bootcamp, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Virtual, August 2021
  • /Moderator and Presenter, “Geographic Indications: A Tour Around the World”, Association of Intellectual Property Firms, Webinar, July 2021
  • /Presenter, “Responding to Trademark Office Action: Raising Specimen Refusals, Disclaimer Requirements, Requests for Information, Domicile Address, and Suspension Inquiries”, Strafford, Webinar, February 2021
  • / “Best Practices for Responding to Trademark Office Actions,” ABA June 2020
  • /Presenter, “Responding to Trademark Office Action: Assessing Response Alternatives and Persuading the Examiner,” Strafford, January 2020.
  • /Moderator, “Beyond Words and Logos: Non-Traditional Trademarks Around the World,” Association of Intellectual Property Firms, Webinar, November 2019.
  • /Presenter, “Demonstrating Use in Commerce for Trademark Applications,” Strafford, October 2019.
  • /Moderator, “International Trademark Enforcement in the Digital Age,” Association of Intellectual Property Firms, Crystal City, Virginia, September 2019.
  • /Presenter, “Searching Trademarks, Trademark Bootcamp,” American Intellectual Property Law Association, Crystal City, Virginia, June 2019.
  • /Presenter, “Responding to Trademark Office Action: Assessing Response Alternatives and Persuading the Examiner,” Strafford, September 2018.
  • /Moderator, “Intellectual Property Enforcement in China,” U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: China IP Roadshow, Iowa City, Iowa, August 2018.
  • /Presenter, “Searching Trademarks, Trademark Bootcamp,” American Intellectual Property Law Association, Crystal City, Virginia, June 2018.
  • /Presenter, “Responding to Trademark Office Action: Assessing Response Alternatives and Persuading the Examiner,” Strafford, November 2017.
  • /District of Columbia
  • /Virginia
  • /Iowa
  • /U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • /U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • /U.S. Supreme Court
  • /University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2007
  • /George Mason University, B.A., cum laude, 2004