Practice Expertise

  • Intellectual Property
  • Social Media
  • Trademark Litigation
  • Trademark Prosecution

Areas of Practice

  • Intellectual Property
  • Social Media
  • Trademark Litigation
  • Trademark Prosecution

Profile

As an associate in Haynes and Boone’s trademark, copyright and social media practice groups, Rob LeBlanc counsels many of the world’s most valuable and famous companies on brand strategy and the protection of brand assets, including, brand creation, selection, protection, expansion, and enforcement.

A large portion of Rob’s practice focuses on internet and social media issues. Rob has a 100 percent success rate in the numerous UDRP actions he has filed to recover disputed domain names on behalf of his clients (ADR Forum, 2019). Additionally, Rob has handled thousands of successful social media takedowns and acquisitions on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, Snapchat and LinkedIn.

Rob also devotes a significant portion of his time to trademark clearance and pre-launch risk mitigation strategy. Specifically, Rob has served as go-to counsel for several of the most high-profile brand launches in the last decade. Rob often works with counsel worldwide to create and implement risk mitigation measures prior to significant brand asset launches, including to acquire marks identified as high risk, file non-use cancellations, and obtain consent agreements on behalf of his clients. Given his breath of experience related to trademark clearance and social media-related issues, Rob is often called upon to lecture on these topics.

On the trademark protection front, with the assistance of his deep network of trusted foreign counsel, Rob has overseen the filing and prosecution of trademarks in nearly every jurisdiction in the world that has a formal trademark protection process. Rob often serves as an intermediary to U.S.-based companies with significant worldwide portfolios of trademarks to counsel them regarding efficient and effective foreign prosecution strategy.

Finally, when it comes time to enforce and protect brand assets, Rob understands that each brand requires a custom-tailored approach that must take into consideration potential PR ramifications of enforcement. Rob is particularly adept at achieving swift and informal resolution of trademark enforcement matters having successfully resolved hundreds of branding disputes without the need for litigation. Nonetheless, if formal enforcement measures such as federal court litigation or opposition/cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) are required, Rob zealously advocates for his clients to secure victories on their behalf.

Bar Admissions
Texas

Education
J.D., Tulane University Law School, 2011, magna cum laude; Managing Editor, Tulane Law Review
B.A., Political Science, Louisiana State University, 2007, cum laude

Areas of Practice

  • Intellectual Property
  • Social Media
  • Trademark Litigation
  • Trademark Prosecution

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. v. Robert Cassede, FA1512001653803 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 4, 2016)- Successfully represented AT&T in recovering disputed domain name attfreeofferswireless.com

DIRECTV, LLC v. Michal Restl, FA1805001788826 (Nat. Arb. Forum July 5, 2018)- Successfully represented DIRECTV in recovering disputed domain name directvgo.com

DIRECTV, LLC v. The Pearline Group, FA1811001818749 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 30, 2018)- Successfully represented DIRECTV in recovering disputed domain name directtvdealsnow.com

AT&T Intellectual Property II and Warner Media, LLC v. Dong Soo Kim, FA1812001821550 (Nat. Arb. Forum Jan. 22, 2019)- Successfully represented AT&T and Warner Media in recovering disputed domain names warner-media.net, att-media.com, att-warner.com, attmediagroup.com, attwarner.net, attwarnermedia.com, warnermedia.company, warnermedia.biz

Southern Marsh Collection, L.L.C. v. ICS Inc., FA1703001720503 (Nat. Arb. Forum April 21, 2017)- Successfully represented Southern Marsh Collection clothing company in recovering disputed domain name southermarsh.com



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