DAVIDSON – Just five years after opening his own firm in Davidson, NC, Jason Sneed, founder and managing attorney of SNEED PLLC has been named as North Carolina’s Lawyer of the Year in Trademark Law by North Carolina’s Best Lawyers magazine.
Mr. Sneed said he is honored to receive recognition for his work protecting trademarks for various businesses from North Carolina and around the world throughout his nearly 20 years of practice.
“Every company has a brand, and that brand can be the company’s most important asset,” Mr. Sneed said. “One of the most unique and satisfying aspects of trademark law is the ability to collaborate with a company to expand its brands and to protect it against unfair competition.”
“I love the variety in trademark law and our work with innovative products and creative people,” Mr. Sneed added. “We define success a bit differently than other areas of law in that, often times, we are seeking to protect a brand, setting it on a path to grow and allowing the business to worry about the dollars and cents.”
Mr. Sneed said he and his team work with clients around the country and globe to grow and protect their trademark and trade dress rights, including companies in footwear and apparel, firearms, personal and retail security, 3D printing, non-wovens and entertainment. Specifically, the firm represents North Carolina manufacturers seeking to protect against foreign knock-offs and a South Dakota non-profit organization that manages the Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally.
“We travel to South Dakota each year to protect the Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally from marketplace infringement by searching for counterfeit goods among hundreds of retail tent vendors,” Mr. Sneed noted.
Last October, SNEED PLLC tried a case against a souvenir dealer who infringed its client’s rights.
“After a two-week trial, a jury found in our favor on all counts and awarded our client over $900,000,” Mr. Sneed said.
“I’m very proud of our team for its hard work,” Mr. Sneed added, noting the importance of the firm’s growth in such a short time.
“In just five years, SNEED PLLC has grown from a solo practice to a team of top-quality professionals focused solely on trademark and copyright protection,” Mr. Sneed said. “The firm is a rarity as an intellectual property boutique firm, as we are not a patent firm.”
“Our modest size and low overhead allow us the opportunity to create strategies that protect the brands of small to mid-sized businesses as well as larger companies and corporations efficiently and effectively,” Mr. Sneed said.
Mr. Sneed graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997 and obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Christian University in 1993. Before forming SNEED PLLC, Mr. Sneed practiced law with national firms in Kansas and North Carolina, including Alston & Bird LLP in uptown Charlotte, where he became a partner and served as group leader for Charlotte’s trademark and copyright practice group.
He is active in the International Trademark Association and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy and has served in leadership capacities in both organizations. Throughout his career, Mr. Sneed has received recognition from Best Lawyers®, North Carolina Legal Elite™, IP Stars® and Super Lawyers® for his excellence in intellectual property law and litigation.
Best Lawyers® official publication will be available in print and online around the middle of December. More information can be found at www.bestlawyers.com.
For more information about SNEED PLLC, please visit www.sneedlegal.com. Note, the cases mentioned on the site are illustrative of the matters handled by the firm. Results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case, not all results are provided and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.