Susan retired from Mintz in 2026 after over 20 years of dedicated leadership of the firm's Trademark Practice.

Trademark Trial and Appeal Board: Non-Spanish Speakers Would Confuse PATRON and PORTON Trademarks

January 10, 2017 | Blog

In a non-precedential opinion, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board cancelled two US trademark registrations for the mark PORTON, finding it to be confusingly similar to the mark PATRON.

October 25, 2016 | Blog

Well, a lot has happened since we last reported on the District Court's decision in the FLANAX trademark dispute. As you may recall, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted Bayer's Petition and cancelled the FLANAX registration although Bayer, a German company, did not use the mark FLANAX in the US.

October 3, 2016 | Blog

Further to our post last Friday on the SLANTS trademark case, the U.S. Supreme Court today, without comment, refused the Redskins' Petition to join the SLANTS case challenging the U.S. Trademark Office's ban on "offensive" trademarks.

September 29, 2016 | Blog

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it will review whether the U.S. Trademark Office can deny registration of offensive trademarks or whether such prohibition violates the First Amendment.

June 30, 2016 | Blog

Trademark dilution is a concept not easily understood. Although, we have written about this topic in previous posts, a recent decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, ESRT Empire State Building, L. L. C. v. Michael Liang, Opposition No. 91204122 (TTAB June 17, 2016), may help to further explain why it is unacceptable to dilute another’s trademark.

June 29, 2016 | Blog

The US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has, again, explained how and when surnames may function as trademarks.

June 28, 2016 | Blog

The Federal Circuit has upheld the findings of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that use of the marks MAYA and MAYARI on wine is not likely to cause confusion.

March 23, 2016 | Blog

As we reported in a recent post, PETA lost its efforts, on behalf of Naruto the monkey, to secure his claim to copyright ownership of his "selfie" photograph. The district court judge held that the copyright law did not recognize an animal's right to own a copyright.

February 24, 2016 | Blog

In August 2014, we posted about a copyright ownership dispute involving selfie photographs. The disputed selfie photographs were taken by a monkey named Naruto in Indonesia in 2011.

February 15, 2016 | Article

As we ring in the new year, we thought we would remind everyone why the importance of a comprehensive trademark search for a new company name and for a new trademark cannot be overstated:

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173 Mintz Attorneys Across 53 Practice Areas Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2026

August 28, 2025

173 Mintz attorneys across 53 practice areas have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Five Mintz attorneys received 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 61 firm attorneys were included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Mintz’s Trademark Practice and Attorneys Recognized in 2025 WTR 1000 Rankings

February 04, 2025

Mintz has been recognized in the 2025 edition of WTR 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, marking the fifth consecutive year of acknowledgement by the World Trademark Review. This guide identifies the top trademark professionals and firms in over 80 jurisdictions worldwide.

The Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 184 Mintz Attorneys across 56 Practice Areas

August 15, 2024

187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Mintz Attorneys Recognized as 2024 Washington DC Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 22, 2024

Mintz’s Trademark Practice Recognized in 2024 WTR 1000 Rankings

February 06, 2024

NEW YORK, SAN DIEGO, and WASHINGTON, DC - Mintz has been recognized in the 2024 edition of WTR 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, marking the fourth consecutive year of acknowledgement by the World Trademark Review. This guide identifies the top trademark professionals and firms in over 80 jurisdictions worldwide. This year, WTR ranked Mintz in New York as a leading firm for “Enforcement and Litigation” and “Prosecution and Strategy.”

One Hundred Twenty Mintz Attorneys Ranked as Leaders by Best Lawyers 2024

August 17, 2023

Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

Five Mintz Attorneys Recognized as 2023 Washington, DC Super Lawyers

April 24, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Mintz is pleased to announce the inclusion of five Members to the 2023 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers list.

Mintz’s Trademark Practice Recognized in 2023 WTR 1000 Rankings

February 14, 2023

NEW YORK, SAN DIEGO, and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mintz has been recognized in the 2023 edition of “WTR 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals”—a unique guide that identifies the top trademark professionals in key jurisdictions around the globe.

One Hundred Eight Mintz Attorneys Ranked as Leaders by Best Lawyers 2023

August 18, 2022

Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Six Mintz Attorneys Named 2022 Washington, DC Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 28, 2022

Mintz, Practitioners Ranked in 2022 World Trademark Review 1000

March 01, 2022

Nine Mintz Attorneys Selected to the 2021 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists

April 27, 2021

Mintz, Practitioner Ranked in 2021 World Trademark Review 1000

February 23, 2021

Ten Mintz Attorneys Honored as 2020 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 16, 2020

No, Seriously, Don't Try To 'Trademark' Coronavirus

March 19, 2020

Mintz Member Susan Weller was quoted in an article published by Law360 discussing the latest trend of misguided trademark applications surrounding COVID-19 and the considerations by trademark lawyers.

Thirteen Mintz Attorneys Named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 23, 2019

Ban On 'Scandalous' TMs Is Probably Dead For Good

September 18, 2018

Susan Weller, who currently manages Mintz’s Trademark & Copyright Practice, provides commentary in this feature article looking at whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court will revive a federal ban on the registration of profane trademarks.

Eleven Mintz Attorneys Named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 24, 2018

Mintz is pleased to announce that eight attorneys have been named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers for 2018 and three others have been named Washington, D.C. Rising Stars. The annual publication identifies lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

After NYT Challenge, BuzzFeed Drops 'All The News' Slogan

October 12, 2017

Law360 published an article discussing BuzzFeed’s decision to drop the “all the news” slogan after being threatened with legal action by the New York Times, thus avoiding a trademark fight. Susan Weller, Mintz Washington, DC Member, is one of the sources quoted in the article discussing the case.

Industry Reaction to SCOTUS First Amendment Decision in Matal v. Tam

June 20, 2017

Susan Weller, a Member of Mintz’s Washington, DC office, is featured in an IP Watchdog article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Matal v. Tam trademark case. The Supreme Court ruled that the disparagement clause was in violation of the First Amendment.

Even Before Slants, Offensive TM Ban Always An Awkward Fit

June 20, 2017

Mintz Member Susan Weller is featured in this Law360 article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to rule in favor of the rock band “The Slants”. The court decided the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act was in direct violation of the First Amendment.

Twelve Mintz Attorneys Named 2017 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 24, 2017

Eight Mintz attorneys have been named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers for 2017 and four have been named Washington, D.C. Rising Stars. The list will be published in a special advertising supplement in The Washington Post Magazine and in a stand-alone magazine, Washington D.C. Super Lawyers Magazine.

Racial slurs, free speech at issue in 'Slants' trademark case

February 1, 2017

This article discusses Lee v. Tam, a Supreme Court case involving the band The Slants in their attempt to trademark their name, in opposition to the Lanham Act, which denies trademark protection of any work or name that disparaged someone.

US Supreme Court Examines Many Angles in Slants Oral Arguments

January 22, 2017

Susan Neuberger Weller is quoted in this Managing Intellectual Property article addressing Lee v. Tam, a U.S. Supreme Court case involving the band The Slants in their attempt to trademark their name and examining the arguments made and how the court may rule.

Offensive TMs At High Court: Everything You Need To Know

January 17, 2017

Susan Neuberger Weller is among sources quoted in this article discussing a high-profile trademark case involving the Washington Redskins and the band The Slants.

Mintz Attorney Susan Neuberger Weller to Speak at 2016 WIPO Summer School

August 05, 2016

Susan Neuberger Weller, a Member of the Intellectual Property Practice at Mintz, is speaking at the 2016 World Intellectual Property Organization Summer School presented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Global Intellectual Property Academy.

Eleven Mintz Attorneys Named 2016 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 25, 2016

Law360 Intellectual Property Editorial Advisory Board

February 29, 2016

Susan Neuberger Weller, Chair of the Trademark Law Practice, is featured in this Law360 article on being named to Law360’s Intellectual Property Editorial Advisory Board.

Twelve Mintz Attorneys Named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 17, 2015

Seven Mintz attorneys have been named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers for 2015 and five have been named Washington, D.C. Rising Stars. The list will be published in a special advertising supplement in Washington Post Magazine and in a stand-alone Washington D.C. Super Lawyers Magazine.

Eleven Mintz Attorneys Named Washington, DC Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 25, 2014

Nine Mintz Members Named Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

April 29, 2013

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Speaker

Jul

2015

World Intellectual Property Organization Academy Summer School

WIPO and United States Patent & Trademark Office

Alexandria, VA

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Susan Neuberger Weller

Member Emerita

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January 10, 2017 | Blog

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Susan Neuberger Weller

Member Emerita