Hopkins IP is an intellectual property boutique law firm. We represent clients from large to small, local to international, who recognize the need to protect and enforce their valuable assets.
Our clients partner with Hopkins IP to develop strategies designed to facilitate their business goals, recognizing the importance and value of intellectual property in a global economy.
Our clients are leaders in diverse industries including fashion and apparel, the arts, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, technology, healthcare, and service providers. Our clients include entrepreneurs, technology-based startups, established small businesses, and multinational corporations that are seeking to preserve, protect, and commercialize the technologies and creative work behind their products and services.
Hopkins IP provides intellectual property counseling to clients including trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, unfair competition, litigation, and business advice.
Hopkins IP searches and clears brand names, logos, slogans, and trade dress and registers trademarks in the United States and worldwide. Hopkins IP collaborates with established foreign associates around the world to register trademarks and navigate foreign trademark law. We register copyrights on behalf of our clients with the U.S. Copyright Office.
We conduct intellectual property audits and provide due diligence and licensing of intellectual property. Hopkins IP prepares and negotiates contracts and agreements with a focus on protecting intellectual property rights, including independent contractor agreements, non-disclosure agreements, manufacturing agreements, partnership agreements, non-compete agreements, and employment agreements.
Hopkins IP represents clients in trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. We help our clients enforce their intellectual property, litigating on their behalf before the federal courts and vigorously defend our clients against infringement claims.
Julie A. Hopkins founded Hopkins IP with a commitment and passion for protecting and enforcing brands through her trademark practice.
After attaining extensive experience at highly ranked international law firms, including K&L Gates, Venable, and Womble Bond Dickinson, Ms. Hopkins sought to develop an intellectual property boutique law firm that offered high-quality legal services tailored to meet her clients’ specific needs.
Ms. Hopkins practices trademark prosecution, registration, and enforcement in the United States and worldwide, including searching and clearance of brand names, logos, slogans, and trade dress. Ms. Hopkins represents clients in trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She conducts trademark audits and counsels her clients on copyright, advertising, and unfair competition matters. Ms. Hopkins’ transactional matters include providing due diligence and licensing of intellectual property. Ms. Hopkins helps her clients enforce their intellectual property, litigating on their behalf before the federal courts.
Ms. Hopkins takes a personalized approach to providing legal services to clients who benefit from the genuine interest she takes in their businesses and her approachability as a collaborator.
Ms. Hopkins’ clients represent a diverse group of manufacturers, retailers, and service providers in various industries including fashion and apparel, food, beverages, healthcare, technology, and the arts.
Ms. Hopkins is an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Carey School of Law where she teaches Trademarks and Unfair Competition. A frequent speaker, Ms. Hopkins was a panelist at SXSW Interactive and at policy briefings at the U.S. Senate, and has been a guest on several radio programs. Ms. Hopkins’ writing has appeared in the Journal of Business and Technology Law, IP Watchdog, TheHill.com, Re/Code, The Denver Post, the Austin American-Statesman, and other national publications. A proud board member of House of Ruth Maryland and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Ms. Hopkins supports women and artists in the local community.
Education
University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Baltimore, MD
J.D. With Honors (May 2004)
Smith College, Northampton, MA
B.A. in Biology (May 1998)
Professional Associations
Maryland State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section
International Trademark Association (INTA)
District of Columbia Bar Association
Awards
Best Lawyers Best Law Firm, 2020-2021
Best Lawyers in America, 2017-2021
Best Lawyers Women in the Law, 2017
Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Awarded by The Daily Record, 2015
Leading Women, Awarded by The Daily Record, 2014
Representative Matters
Assists a Singapore-based designer launch a fashion and lifestyle company acquiring trademarks for the brand worldwide.
Manages the worldwide trademark portfolio for a leading national olive oil company.
Advised a UK-based retail and apparel company on trademark issues as they expanded into the U.S. market.
Developed a trademark enforcement strategy for a local craft brewery and managed its U.S. trademark assets.
Successfully represented a lacrosse apparel company in a trademark opposition proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Served as lead counsel representing defendants in a trademark ownership dispute over the Light City Baltimore Festival trademarks before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and negotiated favorable settlement.
Bar and Court Admissions
Maryland
District of Columbia
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Leadership Activities
International Trademark Association (INTA) Academic Committee Member (January 2020-Present); Media and Public Relations Committee Member (January 2018-January 2020)
Maryland State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section Council Member (2017-Present); Chair (2015-2016); Chair-Elect (2014-2015); Programs Chair (2013-2015)
Board of Directors, Immediate Past President (June 2020-Present); President (June 2018-June 2020), Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (2014-Present)
Board of Directors, House of Ruth Maryland (2013-Present)
Co-Chair, Crabaret Fundraiser Planning Committee, House of Ruth Maryland (2017-Present)
Board of Directors, Smith College Club of Baltimore, Events and Communications Chair (2011-2017)
Publications
“Tackling a Tangled Web of Legal Issues for Artists,” ArtsNews, June 2020
“GOOGLE®: Not Your Generic Search Engine,” Journal of Business & Technology Law, Vol. 13, Issue No. 2, May 2018
“Being Your Best Brand: A Lesson from the Luxury Market,” Association of Corporate Counsel Baltimore Focus Newsletter, Fourth Quarter 2017
“Design Patents or Trade Dress?” Inventors Digest, July 2016
“The Difference Between Design Patents and Trade Dress,” IPWatchdog, June 3, 2016
“Statute Barring Registration of Disparaging Trademarks Upended,” IPWatchdog, January 26, 2016
“Couture v. Playdom, Inc.: Federal Circuit Holds Advertising Services Not Use in Commerce,” MSBA IP Section 2015 IP Law Update, June 14, 2015
“Understanding the Different Rights and Remedies Under US IP Law,” World Economics Journal, Special Edition, Spring 2015
“Challenge-Flag Thrown: The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s Cancellation of the Redskins’ Trademarks and Pro-Football’s Chances on Appeal,” Journal of Business and Technology Law, Vol. 10, Issue 2
“Patrolling the Patent Trolls: Ongoing Developments in U.S. IP Law,” ACC Docket, December 2014
“Don’t neglect design patents in the next round of reform,” Republic 3.0, July 22, 2014
“On patent troll problem, federal government could learn from states,” TheHill.com, July 9, 2014
“Redskins Losing Their Trademarks? Not So Fast…,” The Daily Caller, June 20, 2014
“Design Patents Deserve a Closer Look and Reform, Too,” Re/Code, January 2014
“When Pools Act Like Trolls,” Austin American-Statesman, November 26, 2013
“Patent Abuses Stifle Innovation,” The Denver Post, May 3, 2013
“Patent Laws and Suffering Innovators,” UPI, May 2, 2013
“Emerging Patent Law Policy Issues in 2013,” IPWatchdog, February 24, 2013
“SHIELD Act will help address patent system abuses,” TheHill.com, January 29, 2013
“Special Litigation Committees After Boland,” University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Business Law Bulletin, Spring 2012
“Modernizing the Maryland LLC,” University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Business Law Bulletin, Fall 2011
Speaking Engagements
Panelist, “Best Trademark Practices,” University IP Clinicians Workshop, August 11, 2020
Speaker, “Legal Issues in Visual Art, Photography, and Sculpture: Rights of Privacy and Publicity,” ArtsWestchester, March 2, 2020
Panelist, “Professional Etiquette in Business,” Business Law Society, University of Maryland Carey School of Law, January 30, 2020
Panelist, “Foundations of Business Law: Working with Lawyers,” University of Maryland Carey School of Law, January 27, 2020
Panelist, “Women Lawyering,” Women’s Bar Association, University of Maryland Carey School of Law, January 2019
Speaker, “Art and Photography: Copyright Implications in the Digital Age,” Federal Bar Association Art Law and Litigation Conference, February 7, 2019
Moderator, “Protecting Your Trademarks in China,” University of Maryland Carey School of Law, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office China IP Roadshow, November 1, 2018
Speaker, “The Artist’s Copyright and The Art of Protection,” ArtsWestchester, October 16, 2018
Speaker, “Trademarks: Virtual and Augmented Reality,” University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Journal of Business and Technology Law Virtual Legality Symposium, April 6, 2018
Panelist, “Being Your Best Brand,” Association of Corporate Counsel Baltimore Luncheon, October 12, 2017
Panelist, “Trademark Clearance: Best Practices,” Georgia State University Corporate Intellectual Property Institute, October 25, 2016
Speaker, “Business and IP Tips for Social Entrepreneurs,” Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Labs Start-up Boot Camp, September 2016
Speaker, “30 Intellectual Property Tips in 30 Minutes,” Manufacturing Forum, October 27, 2015
Guest, AHA Business Radio Show, February 17, 2015
Panelist, “Inside Intellectual Property Practice: A Career Panel,” sponsored by the Maryland State Bar Association and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Intellectual Property Student Association, February 2015
Presenter, “Monday Morning Quarterback: A Play by Play Analysis of the Washington Redskins Trademark Dispute,” hosted by The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s Intellectual Property Student Association, November 2014
Panelist, “More than Meets the Eye: What is -or should be- Patentable,” U.S. Senate Policy Briefing on Patent Reform Legislation, July 22, 2014
Panelist, “What’s Next for Patent Reform,” U.S. Senate Policy Briefing on Patent Reform Legislation, June 25, 2014
Guest, “The Washington NFL Team Loses Its Trademark,” The Marc Steiner Show, June 23, 2014
Panelist and Speaker, “Change is in the Air: Developments in Intellectual Property Law,” 2014 MSBA Annual Meeting (see The Daily Record article), June 13, 2014
Speaker, “30 Intellectual Property Tips in 30 Minutes,” Anne Arundel County Business Opportunity Network, June 4, 2014
Panelist, “Preventing Patent Abuse: Prospects for Reform,” U.S. Senate policy briefing on patent reform legislation, April 3, 2014
Panelist, “How to Fix Patents: Trolls, Innovators & Reform,” SXSW Interactive, Austin, March 10, 2014
Panelist, “Getting Patent Reform Right,” U.S. Senate policy briefing on patent reform legislation, February 4, 2014
Speaker, “From Paca to Partner: My Career in Intellectual Property Law,” University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Fortnightly IP, October 17, 2013
Speaker, Maryland State Bar Association Annual Meeting, “Trademark Trends and Developments 2012-2013,” June 2013
Speaker, 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Nathan Patz Law Center, University of Maryland Carey School of Law, “10 Years of the Intellectual Property Law Program,” April 2013
Speaker, University of Maryland Carey School of Law Journal of Business & Technology Law Spring Symposium, “Social Media and the Law,” April 2013
Speaker, Second Annual STEM Conference, Arlington Branch of the American Association of University Women, “A Career in Patent Law,” November 2012
Speaker, University of Maryland Symposium on Entrepreneurship, “A Tool Kit for Launching a University Based Start-Up,” May 2012
Speaker, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Law Practice Management Course, May 2012
Speaker, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Patent Bar Exam 101 Panel, February 2012
Speaker, University of Maryland School of Law Fortnightly IP, “Ask an Alum: Focus on Business and IP Law,” November 9, 2011
Speaker, Mobile Citizen Summit, Microsoft Corporation, “Intellectual Property Considerations and Strategies for Developing and Sustaining Mobile Technologies,” April 16, 2011
Moderator, University of Maryland School of Law Journal of Business & Technology Law Spring Symposium: “Confronting the Challenges of Counterfeiting in Practice and Policy,” March, 25, 2011
Speaker, First Annual STEM Conference, Arlington Branch of the American Association of University Women, “A Career in Patent Law,” March 19, 2011
Speaker, University of Maryland School of Law Fortnightly IP, “A Career in Private IP Practice,” February 10, 2011
Speaker, Shady Grove Innovation Center, Rockville, MD, “Developing an Intellectual Property Strategy: Trademarks and Copyrights,” January 18, 2011
Speaker, Morgan State University Chemistry Club, “A Career in Patent Law,” October 27, 2011
Speaker, Germantown Innovation Center, Germantown, MD, “Developing an Intellectual Property Strategy,” September 14, 2010