Mitchell A. Frank
Special Counsel
Duane Morris LLP
1540 Broadway
New York, NY 10036-4086
USA
Phone: +1 212 471 1882
Fax: +1 212 202 4651
Email: MAFrank@duanemorris.com

Mitchell A. Frank practices in the area of Intellectual property law. Mr. Frank focuses his practice on all aspects of trademark and copyright counseling, from trademark clearance, enforcement and protection, licensing and trademark and copyright aspects of acquisitions and divestitures. His experience includes overseeing the protection, maintenance and enforcement of global trademark portfolios as well as transactions and trademark litigation.

Prior to joining Duane Morris, Mr. Frank was assistant general counsel for commercial law and trademarks at Unilever United States, Inc., where he was responsible for all phases of trademark and copyright protection for Unilever's North American foods and ice cream business for brands that include Lipton, Knorr, Hellmann's, Best Foods, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Wish-Bone, Bertolli, Ragu, Skippy, Country Crock, Imperial, Promise, Ben & Jerry's, Good Humor, Breyers and Klondike. He counseled Unilever management on trademark maintenance, enforcement and protection, and unfair competition matters; negotiated and drafted trademark license agreements; and reviewed and approved advertising, sales materials, packaging, labeling and website content. In addition, he handled all trademark and copyright aspects of acquisitions and divestitures and supervised and managed outside counsel on trademark litigation.

Mr. Frank is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, where he was lead articles editor for the Syracuse Law Review, and Johns Hopkins University.

Areas of Practice

• Intellectual Property Law
• Trademarks and Copyrights

Professional Activities

• International Trademark Association (formerly U.S. Trademark Association)
  - Member, 1978-2009
  - Member, Board of Directors, 1999-2002
  - Member, 2004 Annual Meeting Project Team
  - Member, "Trademarks in Cyberspace 2000" Project Team
  - Member, 1997 Annual Meeting Subcommittee
  - Former Member, Editorial Board, Trademark Reporter
  - Former Member, Industry Advisory Council
  - Former Member, Forums Committee
  - Former Member, Parallel Imports Committee

Admissions

• New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Education

• Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 1975
• The Johns Hopkins University, B.A., 1972

Experience

• Duane Morris LLP
  - Special Counsel, 2010-present
• Unilever United States, Inc.
  - Assistant General Counsel, Commercial Law and Trademarks, 2001-2010
• Bestfoods (formerly CPC International Inc.) (acquired by Unilever)
  - Trademark Counsel, 1990-2000
• Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc.
  - Senior Staff Attorney, 1983-1990
• Bierman, Bierman & Peroff
  - Associate, 1982-1983
• Cowan, Liebowitz and Latman
  - Associate, 1978-1982

Selected Publications

• Co-author, "2012 USA Yearbook," World Trademark Review, August 6, 2012
• Contributing Author, "The Thirty-Second Year of Administration of the Lanham Trademark Act of 1946," 69 Trademark Reporter 517 (November-December 1979)
• Contributing Author, "The Thirty-First Year of Administration of the Lanham Trademark Act of 1946," 68 Trademark Reporter 687 (November-December 1978)
• "Alien Inheritance Statutes: An Examination of the Constitutionality of State Laws Restricting the Rights of Nonresident Aliens to Inherit from American Decedents," 25 Syracuse Law Review 597 (Spring 1974)

Selected Speaking Engagements

• Moderator and Speaker, International Trademark Association Annual Meeting, Food and Beverage Industry Breakout Session, May 2004
• Speaker, International Trademark Association "Advanced TTAB Practice" Forum ("Settlement and Alternative Dispute Resolution"), September 2001
• Speaker, International Trademark Association "Trademarks in Cyberspace 2000," October 2000