Intellectual Property Lawyers Named to Maryland Super Lawyers 2025

Intellectual property lawyers Jim Astrachan, Donna Thomas, and Kaitlin Corey have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition of Maryland Super Lawyers. Kaitlin appears in the Rising Stars section.

All are partners at Goodell DeVries and experienced intellectual property lawyers. They have been honored in Maryland Super Lawyers for consecutive years.

Jim Astrachan - Intellectual Property Lawyer

Jim represents clients in intellectual property law and litigation, mediation, and business, regulatory, and transactional matters. He is a frequent author and speaker and has taught IP at Maryland’s two law schools for more than two decades.

 

Donna Thomas - Baltimore Intellectual Property Lawyer

Donna represents clients in commercial and intellectual property transactions and disputes. She handles everything from multi-million dollar sales, mergers and acquisitions for publicly-traded corporations to business agreements, business counseling, advertising clearance and the clearance, registration, licensing, protection and defense of copyrights and trademarks for individuals and businesses.

 

Kaitlin represents clients in negotiating business transactions and agreements, litigation involving copyright, trademark and unfair competition matters, and clearance, protection, registration and licensing of trademarks and copyrights. In addition, Kaitlin handles tax controversy matters.

Reach out to any member of the group by visiting our Contact Us page.

 

We Have a New Team Member. Meet Jim O’Brien, Lawyer in Business/Corporate, IP, Estates and Trusts Matters

Jim O'Brien - Business/Corporate, IP, Estates and Trusts Lawyer - Baltimore, MD

Jim O’Brien

We are pleased to welcome a new colleague. James Patrick O’Brien has joined Goodell DeVries as an associate. Jim practices in our Business and Corporate LawIntellectual Property, and Commercial and Business Tort Litigation groups.

He represents clients involving corporate governance, business transactions, intellectual property protection and management, and commercial disputes. Jim also handles estates and trusts matters, creating personalized estate plans for individuals and families as well as guiding fiduciaries through the estate administration process after a loved one passes away. Continue reading

Intellectual Property Lawyer Kaitlin Corey Scores Win in WIPO Trademark Proceeding

Kaitlin Corey - Business and intellectual property lawyer at Goodell DeVries

Kaitlin Corey – Business and intellectual property lawyer at Goodell DeVries

Intellectual property lawyer Kaitlin Corey recently secured a win for her client, a process serving company, in an administrative panel decision in the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Arbitration and Mediation Center. The complaint, which was filed by a competing process serving company, alleged that the client’s use of a particular domain name for its website infringed the complainant’s federally registered trademark.

In her WIPO response, Kaitlin established that the complainant’s federally registered trademark is merely descriptive, and the complainant failed to prove secondary meaning to establish a protectable mark. The Panelist also found that the complainant brought its WIPO complaint in bad faith, finding that its attempt to transfer the domain name was an attempt at “Reverse Domain Name Hijacking.”

This case serves as a worthwhile lesson to business owners to choose protectable trademarks and steer clear of descriptive marks.

Jim Astrachan Named Baltimore Lawyer of the Year for Intellectual Property Litigation

Jim Astrachan - Intellectual Property Lawyer

Jim Astrachan

Congratulations to our partner, Jim Astrachan, on being named the 2025 Baltimore Lawyer of the Year in Intellectual Property Litigation by Best Lawyers.

The Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year honors are awarded to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction. Continue reading

Intellectual Property Lawyers Jim Astrachan and Donna Thomas Recognized in Chambers 2024

Congratulations to Jim Astrachan and Donna Thomas, who were recognized in the 2024 edition of Chambers, a leading ranking of the world’s top lawyers. Both were selected for the Maryland Intellectual Property category.

Jim and Donna are ranked in Chambers every year, which is a testament to the stellar reputation their IP practice has earned (and held) for decades.

Jim Astrachan - Intellectual Property Lawyer

Jim Astrachan

Donna Thomas - Baltimore Intellectual Property Lawyer

Donna Thomas

 

Kaitlin Corey Joins Board of Discovery Center at Water’s Edge

Kaitlin Corey - Business and intellectual property lawyer at Goodell DeVries

Kaitlin Corey – Business and intellectual property lawyer at Goodell DeVries

Intellectual property lawyer Kaitlin Corey has been appointed to the Board of the Discovery Center at Water’s Edge (DCWE).

DCWE is a trailblazing educational institution dedicated to nurturing a lifelong love of learning and exploration in STEM. Its mission is to create an inclusive environment where people of all ages can engage with interactive science exhibits, attend enriching workshops, see new technology, learn about the local science heritage, and discover the fascinating world of STEM. Continue reading

Jim Astrachan and Kaitlin Corey Named to Maryland State Bar Association Board of Governors

Congratulations to Jim Astrachan and Kaitlin Corey on being named to the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) Board of Governors.

Jim will serve on the Board for the First District, Baltimore City, and Kaitlin will serve on the Board as Section Representative for the Intellectual Property Section.

The two have a longstanding record of MSBA service. Jim is the founding and former Chair of the Intellectual Property Committee and a former member of the Maryland Bar Journal editorial board. He is a Life Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation. Kaitlin is a past Chair of the MSBA’s Intellectual Property Section and Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Section Education Committee.

Listen Up: Trademark and Copyright Law with Kaitlin Corey

Intellectual property lawyer Kaitlin Corey was interviewed on the “Conversations with Rich Bennett” podcast on June 21. You can listen here:  https://harfordcountyliving.buzzsprout.com/849097/13076409-trademark-and-copyright-law-with-kaitlin-corey

Kaitlin is a partner at Goodell DeVries where she handles a wide range of intellectual property matters. Contact her at kcorey@gdldlaw.com.